Magical Twilight
by Janie83
Summary: When Lord Voldemort took over the Ministry of Magic, a young muggle-born witch Bella Swan had to escape. She went to Forks to live with her father. But is she really safe there?
1. Arrival

**A/N: Hello. This is my first fanfiction written in English. It's not my first language so I'd very much appreciate some reviews and corrections. Thank you.**

 **About the story: I should probably mention that I don't like Twilight. I'm a huge fan of HP. But I both read and watched Twilight so I think I know the story. When I was reading it I was thinking about what it would be like, if Bella were a witch. Surely, she would be much more interesting and not so boring and whiny. I've been thinking about it for a while and finally decided to write about it.**

 **So, the story follows the storyline of Twilight (some parts are copied from the book but edited or shortened - mostly the boring description of Edward's looks) but I hope I've made it a little bit more interesting. At least it is for me :)**

 **I try to follow Rowling's rules and laws of wizarding world more than the rules of Meyer's. Also I changed the timeline so it would fit the story. So it means that Bella arrives in Forks in September instead of January (or whenever it was in Twilight).**

 **I don't own either Twilight or HP.**

 **EDIT 08/06/2018: A minor continuity error fixed.**

 **Chapter one**

When I landed in Port Angeles, it was raining. But I liked rain better than the hot sunny weather that had been in Phoenix where I'd stayed with my mother the last four weeks of this summer. Rain reminded me of Britain and Hogwarts, my old school of magic. Yes, I'm a witch. I was forced to leave the country because I'm a muggle-born and since a dark wizard Lord Voldemort took over the Ministry of Magic I've been in hiding. First I flew to Phoenix, Arizona to my mother and then we decided that it would be better if I stayed with my father in Forks, Washington. Nobody would be able to find me there because my parents divorced when I was three and I lived with my mother, only visiting my father during summer and winter holidays.

My dad Charlie was waiting for me with the cruiser. Charlie is Police Chief Swan to the good people of Forks. He had been fairly nice about the whole thing. He seemed genuinely pleased that I was coming to live with him although he was surprised by the sudden decision. Neither he nor my mother knew about Voldemort and I didn't feel like telling them. Not yet, anyway. I knew I couldn't tell my mum because she wouldn't be able to cope with that. Charlie was more understanding so maybe one day I would tell him. He knew something was wrong though. That much I'd told him.

He'd already gotten me registered for muggle high school and was going to help me get a car. That was the reason why I got my driving licence during the four weeks in Phoenix. I refused to be driven around town in a car with red and blue lights on top.

Charlie gave me an awkward, one-armed hug.

"It's good to see you, Bells," he said, smiling. "You haven't changed much. How's Renée?"

"Mum's fine. It's good to see you, too, Dad."

I brought all my Hogwarts stuff and some muggle clothes with me so I dragged a very heavy trunk plus a cage with my owl. We loaded the trunk into the trunk of the cruiser and the cage in the back seat.

"I found a good car for you, really cheap," he announced when we were strapped in.

"What kind of car?" I didn't know anything about cars and I just got my licence so I was a little worried about driving.

"Well, it's a truck, actually, a Chevy."

"Where did you find it?"

"Do you remember Billy Black down at La Push?" La Push is the tiny Indian reservation on the coast.

"No."

"He used to go fishing with us during the summer," Charlie prompted.

"Oh, him," I said when I vaguely remembered his fishing friend.

"He's in a wheelchair now, so he can't drive anymore, and he offered to sell me his truck cheap."

"How old is it?"

"He bought it in 1984, I think."

"Did he buy it new?"

"Well, no. I think it was new in the early sixties – or late fifties at the earliest," he admitted.

"Dad, I really don't know anything about cars, I wouldn't be able to fix it if anything went wrong and I couldn't afford a mechanic…" Maybe magic would help me but I didn't know any spells for fixing cars. I didn't think of asking Mr. Weasley about it when I was at the Burrow in July.

"Really, Bella, the thing runs great. They don't build them like that anymore."

"How cheap is cheap?" I asked. After all, my supllies of muggle money were very limited.

"Well, honey, I kind of already bought it for you. As a homecoming gift." Charlie peeked sideways at me.

"That's really nice, Dad. Thanks. I really appreciate it."

"Well, you're welcome," he mumbled, embarrassed by my thanks.

We exchanged a few more comments on the weather, which was delightfuly wet and then we stared out the windows in silence.

It was beautiful. Everything was green: the trees, their trunks covered with moss, their branches hanging with a canopy of it, the ground covered with ferns. Even the air filtered down greenly through the leaves. I almost felt like I was back in Scotland.

Eventually we made it to Charlie's. He still lived in the small, two-bedroom house that he'd bought with my mother when they'd arrived in Forks. There, parked on the street in front of the house was my new – well, new to me – truck. It was a faded red colour, with big rounded fenders and a bulbous cab. To my intense surprise, I loved it.

"Wow, Dad, I love it! Thanks!"

"I'm glad you like it," Charlie said gruffly, embarrassed again.

We pulled the trunk and the cage out of the car and took it upstairs. I got the west bedroom that faced out over the front yard. The room was familiar; it had been belonged to me since we moved here when I was little. The wooden floor, the light blue walls, the peaked ceiling, the yellowed lace curtains around the window – these were all a part of my childhood. The only changes Charlie had ever made were switching the crib for a bed and adding a desk as I grew. The rocking chair I remembered from my childhood was still in the corner.

There was only one small bathroom at the top of the stairs, which I would have to share with Charlie. I didn't mind that.

One of the best things about Charlie is he doesn't hover. He left me alone to unpack and get settled. It was nice to be alone, not to have to smile and look pleased; a relief to stare dejectedly out the window at the sheeting rain and just let a few tears escape.

I missed Hogwarts. I missed my housemates and Gryffindor common room and Quidditch. I missed my best friend Ginny Weasley. But I had to run away because otherwise I would probably have been caught and arrested – if I were lucky and wouldn't be killed. I was lucky that my parents lived in America so I had some place to go. British muggle-borns were forced to hide in Britain and were in constant danger of being caught. Our only hope was Harry Potter. I knew that Dumbledore had left him work to do in order to destroy Voldemort even though I had no idea what that could be. But no one knew where Harry was now because he and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger disappeared the day Voldemort took over the Ministry.

So I had to wait here until something happened. I had my enchanted Galleon and Ginny had promised that she would let me know if I was needed. I still couldn't do any magic because I was underage so I only hoped that it wouldn't happen until my seventeenth birthday, which would be in two weeks. I felt a bit guilty and selfish when I thought of all the muggles and muggle-borns that were being chased and probably tortured right now, but I wanted to fight. I was in Gryffindor, after all.

There was also the fact that I would be going to a new school tomorrow morning. A muggle school. After five years in Hogwarts where I'd been learning magic I was about to go to a muggle high school. My mum had helped me decide what subjects I should take so I would be somehow able to graduate. Sure, I was ready to go back to Hogwarts as soon as Voldemort was gone but that could be who knows when and I needed some kind of education. I wasn't very happy about it but I couldn't just sit in my bedroom doing nothing.

I'd decided on taking subjects that could be somehow compared to the ones I studied in Hogwarts. So I took English – I had experience in writing essays and I loved reading – then P.E. - well, I was quite good at Quidditch, even though I hated any physical activities that included running – Math – it was similar to Arithmancy – Art – we used to draw star charts in Astronomy – History – History of Magic was different from muggle history but I'd read some muggle history books and with a bit of hard work I could catch up with the rest of my class - and Biology – well, I had a few years of Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures so it couldn't be that far off.

Fortunately it was the beginning of September so I wouldn't have to suddenly appear there in the middle of a school year. Of course I still dreaded the first day at muggle high school but not because of the muggle subjects but because I'm not very good with people. Yes, I had friends at Hogwarts, good friends actually, but they were the same like me. We had many things in common. And most importantly we started at Hogwarts at the same time. These people here had grown up together. I would be the new girl here. The new girl from different country.

When I finished putting my clothes in the old pine dresser, I gave my owl Agnes a few owl treats. Then I gave her some freedom and let her out of the cage so she could fly outside and hunt some mice.

I had dinner with Charlie and he asked me if I wanted to talk about Britain. I didn't. I was tired after the journey and wanted some sleep. I slept surprisingly well that night mainly because of the rain that lulled me into sleep five minutes after I got to bed.

* * *

Thick fog was all I could see out my window in the morning. Agnes was still out hunting so I closed the window and went downstairs to say bye to Charlie. He wished me good luck at school and then left for work. After breakfast I changed into comfortable jeans and a long sleeve shirt (one good thing about American high schools was that we didn't have to wear school uniforms – I'd never felt good in it at Hogwarts), and packed my new school books that Charlie had bought for me. It felt weird not to take my wand with me so I stuck it into my bag though I knew I wouldn't be able to use it.

I didn't want to be too early to school, but I wasn't so sure about my driving yet and didn't know how long would take me to get there so I put on my jacket and headed out into the rain.

It was just drizzling still, not enough to soak me through immediately as I reached for the house key that was always hidden under the eaves by the door, and locked up.

Inside the truck it was nice and dry. Either Billy or Charlie had obviously cleaned it up, but the tan upholstered seats still smelled faintly of tobacco, gasoline and peppermint. I started the car and the engine roared to life loudly. I drove slowly and carefuly but I got into it quite quickly.

Finding the school wasn't difficult, though I'd never been there before. The school was, like most other things, just off the highway. It was not obvious that it was a school; only the sign, which declared to be the Forks High School, made me stop. It looked like a collection of matching houses, built with maroon-coloured bricks. I remembered the beautiful castle which had been my school for the last five years and I missed Hogwarts even more.

I parked in front of the first building, which had a small sign over the door reading Front office. No one else was parked here, so I was sure it was off limits, but I decided I would get directions inside so I stepped out of the truck and walked down the little stone path. I took a deep breath before opening the door.

Inside it was brightly lit and warmer than I'd hoped. The office was small; a little waiting area with padded folding chairs, orange-flecked commerical carpet, notices and awards cluttering the walls, a big clock ticking loudly. The room was cut in half by a long counter. One of the three desk behind the counter was manned by a large, red-haired woman wearing glasses.

The woman looked up. "Can I help you?"

"I'm Isabella Swan," I informed her and saw the immediate awarness light her eyes. I was expected, a topic of gossip no doubt.

"Of course," she said. She dug through a precariously stacked pile of documents on her desk till she found the ones she was looking for. She gave me my schedule and a map of the school. Then she gave me a slip to have each teacher sign, which I was to bring back at the end of the day.

When I went back out to my truck, other students were starting to arrive. I drove around the school, following the line of traffic. Most of the cars looked older like mine, the only exception was a shiny Volvo.

After I parked, I looked at the map in the truck, trying to memorize it. It wasn't that hard. The school was tiny comparing to Hogwarts. I stuffed everything in my bag and stepped out of the truck.

I kept my face pulled back into my hood as I walked to the sidewalk crowded with teenagers. Once I got around the cafeteria, building three was easy to spot. I tried holding my breath as I followed two unisex raincoats through the door.

The classroom was small. I hang up my jacket on a long row of hooks and took the slip to the teacher whose name was Mr. Mason. He gave me a reading list and sent me to an empty desk at the back without introducing me to the class. I looked at the list. It was full of names of authors I didn't know. The only name I recognized was Shakespeare. Well, at least I knew how to spend the long evenings at home.

When the bell rang, a gangly boy with skin problems and hair black as an oil slick leaned across the aisle to talk to me.

"You're Isabella Swan, aren't you?"

"Bella," I corrected. Everyone turned to look at me now.

"Where's your next class?" he asked.

I had to check in my bag. "Um, History in building six."

"I'm headed toward building four, I could show you the way," he said. "I'm Eric," he added.

I smiled tentatively. "Thanks."

We got our jackets and headed out into the rain, which had picked up. We talked a bit about the weather and my old school in Britain (of course I avoided any details). Eric walked me right to the door, though it was clearly marked.

"Well, good luck," he said as I touched the handle. "Maybe we'll have some other classes together." He sounded hopeful. I smiled at him vaguely and went inside.

The rest of the morning passed in about the same fashion. After two classes, I started to recognize several of the faces in each class. One girl sat next to me in both Math and History, and she walked with me to the cafeteria for lunch. She was tiny, several inches shorter than me, with wildly curly dark hair. She introduced herself as Jessica and she tried to tell me as much as possible about teachers and classes. I could barely keep up.

We sat at the end of a full table with several of her friends. I tried to remember their names but somehow I couldn't because that was when I first saw them.

They were sitting in the corner of the cafeteria, as far away from where I sat as possible in the long room. There were five of them. They weren't talking and they weren't eating, though they each had a tray of untouched food in front of them. They didn't look anything alike. Of the three boys, one was big – muscled like a serious weight lifter, with dark, curly hair. Another was taller, leaner, but still muscular, and honey blond. The last was lanky, less bulky, with untidy, bronze-colored hair. He was more boyish than the others, who looked like they could be in the college, or even teachers here rather than students.

The girls were opposites. One was tall with a beautiful figure, her hair was golden, gently waving to the middle of her back. The other was short, pixielike and thin in the extreme, with small features. Her hair was a deep black, cropped short and pointing in every direction.

And yet, they were all exactly alike. Every one of them was chalky pale, their eyes seemed to be dark but I couldn't be sure because they were too far away from me. They also had dark shadows under those eyes – purplish, bruiselike shadows. And they all were inhumanly beautiful. In fact, they didn't look like humans.

I stared at them in shock for a few moments. I had seen someone who looked very similar to them. The same pale skin, the same beauty, the same dark shadows under his eyes. But the man wasn't a human. He was a vampire. I saw him at a Christmas party at Hogwarts last year. He was invited by professor Slughorn but it was only because he fed on animal blood, not humans. Still, he was pretty dangerous and there was a wizard with him who kept an eye on him.

I couldn't believe that any vampire, even if fed on animals, would dare to come to a place with so many humans. It was dangerous not only for the humans but for the vampires too. They would risk exposure. Surely, I had to be wrong.

As I watched, the small girl rose with her tray – the food untouched – and walked away with a quick, graceful lope, dumped her tray and glided through the back door, faster than I would have thought possible.

"Who are they?" I asked Jessica.

As she looked up to see who I meant – though already knowing, probably, from my tone – suddenly he looked at her, the thinner one, the boyish one, the youngest, perhaps. He looked at my neighbor for just a fraction of a second, and then his eyes flickered to mine. He looked away quickly, more quickly than I could, though in a flash of embarrassment I dropped my eyes at once. In that brief flash of a glance, his face held nothing of interest – it was as if she had called his name, and he'd looked up in involuntary response, already having decided not to answer.

Jessica giggled in embarrassment, looking at the table like I did.

"That's Edward and Emmet Cullen, and Rosalie and Jasper Hale. The one who left was Alice Cullen; they all live together with Doctor Cullen and his wife," she said this under her breath.

A bit strange old names for muggles, I thought. These were normal in my world.

"They are… very nice-looking," I said to Jessica. I wanted to know more about them and somehow I thought that this little remark would set her off. I was right.

She told me that they are couples: Emmet and Rosalie, and Jasper and Alice, and that Dr. Cullen and his wife adopted all of them. Rosalie and Jasper Hale – the tall blond girl and the tall blond boy - were twins. The others were not related. They moved in Forks two years ago from Alaska.

As I examined them, the youngest, one of the Cullens, looked up and met my gaze, this time with evident curiosity in his expression. As I looked swiftly away, it seemed to me that his glance held some kind of unmet expectation.

"Which one is the boy with reddish brown hair?" I asked. I peeked at him from the corner of my eye, and he was still staring at me with a slightly frustrated expression. I looked down again.

"That's Edward. He's gorgeous, of course, but don't waste your time. He doesn't date. Apparently none of the girls here are good-looking enough for him."

Maybe it's good for you, I thought and looked at the strange group again. Edward's face was now turned away and after a few more minutes they all left the table together. They all were noticeably graceful – even the big, brawny one.

After lunch I went to my next class, Biology, with a girl that had been sitting at our table, Angela. We walked in silence. She was shy, too.

When we entered the classroom, Angela went to sit at one of the tables. She already had a neighbor, probably from last year. In fact, all the tables were filled but one. I recognized Edward Cullen sitting next to that single open seat.


	2. Biology

**A/N: Hi. This chapter is short, it was supposed to be a part of chapter 1 but I thought it was too long so I split it up. Again, feel free to correct any grammatical or story related mistakes in reviews or PM.**

 **Thanks.**

 **EDIT: 08/07/2018 - Some continuity and grammatical errors fixed.**

 **Chapter two**

As I walked down the aisle to introduce myself to the teacher and get my slip signed, I was watching Edward surreptitiously. Just as I passed, he suddenly went rigid in his seat. He stared at me again, meeting my eyes with the strangest expression on his face – it was hostile, furious. But I saw something else there too. Hunger. I thought of vampires again and shuddered. I looked away quickly, going red again. I'd noticed that his eyes were black – coal black.

The teacher signed my slip and handed me a book. Of course, he had no choice but to send me to the one open seat in the middle of the room. I kept my eyes down as I went to sit by Edward Cullen.

I didn't look up as I set my book on the table and took my seat, but I saw his posture change from the corner of my eye. He was leaning away from me, sitting on the extreme edge of his chair and averting his face like he smelled something bad. I was curious but I also needed to pay attention to the teacher so I decided to think about it later. I let my long dark hair fall over my right shoulder, making a curtain between us and tried to make notes carefuly.

I couldn't stop myself from peeking at him occasionally through the screen of my hair. During the whole class, he never relaxed his stiff position on the edge of his chair, sitting as far from me as possible.

The class seemed to drag on longer than the others. When the bell finally rang, Edward was out of his seat and almost literally disappeared out the door.

I sat frozen in my seat, staring after him. I repeated in my head what I knew about vampires apart from their looks. If he really were a vampire, surely I wouldn't be the only one in danger. He didn't seem to hate any others of my classmates though. So why me? What was this reaction supposed to mean?

"So you're Isabella Swan?" a male voice asked.

I looked up to see a boy that had been sitting with us at lunch but I didn't know his name. He had a boyish face and pale blond hair carefuly gelled into orderly spikes. He was smiling at me in a friendly way.

"Bella," I corrected him with a smile.

"I'm Mike."

"Hi, Mike."

"Do you need any help finding your next class?"

"I'm headed to the gym, actually. I think I can find it."

"That's my next class, too."

We walked to class together; he was a chatterer, which suited me well because I didn't have to talk much.

We played volleyball in gym. I'd never played it before so naturally I wasn't very good at it but I didn't mind. Unlike Quidditch it was actually pretty boring.

The final bell rang at last. I walked slowly to the office to return my paperwork. When I walked inside I saw Edward Cullen standing at the desk in front of me. He didn't appear to notice the sound of my entrance. I stood pressed against the back wall, waiting for the receptionist to be free.

He was arguing with her in a low voice. I quickly picked up the gist of the argument. He was trying to trade from sixth-hour Biology to another time – any other time. Well, if he really had a problem with me, it only seemed logical. But I still felt a bit angry at him. I didn't do anything wrong to him. But there was still my vampire theory. I decided to look into it more closely when I had time.

The door opened again, and the cold wind suddenly gusted through the room, rustling the papers on the desk, swirling my hair around my face. The girl who came in merely stepped to the desk, placed a note in the wire basket, and walked out again. But Edward Cullen's back stiffened and he turned slowly to glare at me – with piercing, hate filled eyes. For an instant, I felt a thrill of genuine fear, raising the hair on my arms. He turned back to the receptionist.

"Never mind, then," he said hastily. "I can see that it's impossible. Thank you so much for your help." And he turned on his heel without another look at me and disappeared out the door.

I went to the desk and handed the receptionist the signed slip. Without a word I went back to my truck.

I drove home slowly but more confidently than in the morning. I tried not to think about school or Edward Cullen's suspicious behaviour. I focused on the driving instead.

When I got home I went to check out the fridge. There was nothing in it except for some eggs and bacon. I knew that Charlie was a terrible cook so I didn't understand how he could survive all these years without a woman or someone who would cook for him. I sighed. I knew some basics like toasts or scrambled eggs but I'd never had to care about food. Since I wasn't ready to live entirely on eggs or pizza the whole time, I decided that I would have to learn to cook.

I thought about making a list of things I wanted or needed to do in Forks. First, ensure that I and Charlie wouldn't starve to death, second, catch up with my new school because it was much harder than I'd thought, third, find out as much as I would be able to about the Cullens, fourth, learn as many new spells as possible on my own so I would be able to fight when I got back to Britain.

I started with the easiest one and tried to find a cookbook in Charlie's bookcase. There were a few, all of them looked untouched. I shook my head and opened one with some simple recipes. I decided to try and make roast chicken and potatoes so that meant I had to go shopping.

The supermarket, like almost everything in Forks, wasn't very far so I was back in half an hour. The instructions in the recipe were quite simple so after another half-hour the chicken was roasting in the oven and potatoes were boiling in water on the stove. I felt satisfied with myself so I underlined a few more simple recipes for the next few days.

While waiting for the dinner to be ready, I called my mum. We hadn't been that close while I'd been at Hogwarts because she didn't accept the fact that I was a witch very well. It got better this summer when I'd told her I'd finished the school and decided to live in America. I couldn't tell her the truth because she wouldn't be able to handle it. I'd stayed with her for the whole August and then she talked to Charlie and we decided together that it would be better if I went to Forks. But at least we'd somehow found our way to each other again.

Also she was the only person I could be regularly in touch with. I didn't know how to contact my friends in Britain. I couldn't send my owl, because although she's specially trained for long journeys, she would probably be intercepted by the Ministry or Death Eaters. The only other way was my enchanted galleon but I couldn't send any message without using magic, which I couldn't do because I was still underage. I wasn't sure if it was safe anyway. I had been expecting Ginny to send me a message now that she was at Hogwarts but so far nothing. I only hoped she was alright since I didn't have any information about what was happening in Britain. I had a small wizarding radio that I could listen to and get some news that I'd gotten from the Weasleys. But it was the same as with the galleon - I had to wait until my 17th birthday because you had to use magic to tune to any wizarding radio station. I'd never looked forward to my birthday so much as now.

The dinner was finally ready – it smelled surprisingly good – so I waited for Charlie to come home. He arrived after ten minutes.

"Bella?" he called from the door.

"Hey, Dad, welcome home."

"Thanks." He smiled and then came to a halt. "You made dinner?"

"Yeah." I smiled sheepishly. "I tried to make chicken so I hope I won't poison you."

"It smells good," Charlie assured me.

We ate in silence. It was quite good, actually. Maybe we won't starve after all.

After dinner I asked Charlie how to get to the local library, because I needed to get the books from my reading list tomorrow.

Then I went to my room. I opened my trunk where I still had my Hogwarts books hidden. I still hadn't decided where to put them, maybe I would just leave them there. I rummaged through the books for a while until I found what I was looking for.

After a while there were all my Defence Against the Dark Arts books lying on my bed. I knew we learned about vampires in my second and third year but I didn't remember all the facts, only the basics. So for the rest of the evening I tried to find all I could about them.


	3. Mystery

**A/N: Hi. Thanks to everyone for reading and even for reviewing my story. You're very nice :)**

 **Here's another chapter, hope you'll enjoy it.**

 **EDIT: 08/10/2018 A few grammatical errors fixed.**

 **Chapter three**

The next morning I found Agnes perched on a branch of the tree outside of my window. It turned out that she only wanted to see if I was alive because after a few minutes she flew off again. She was used to certain freedom at Hogwarts and hated being locked up in her cage so she wasn't going to spend much time with me now when she was free again. It wasn't like I was going to need her anytime soon anyway.

After breakfast with Charlie I went to get ready for school. I picked my things and was headed for my truck. Charlie had already left, he usually started work early.

Since I already knew what to expect, I wasn't as nervous as yesterday. That didn't mean that I was looking forward to it. I'd spent last night reading my DADA books and I didn't do anything to improve my lacking knowledge of my new school subjects. I just hoped that the teachers would leave me alone today and wouldn't ask me any questions.

I was wrong, of course. I was asked questions in History and Math and wasn't able to answer both times. I felt like a complete idiot. I promised myself to work harder so I wouldn't fail my exams if I ever got that far in the first place.

I sat with a big group at lunch that included Mike, Eric, Jessica and several other people. I couldn't help myself and looked towards the table when the Cullens had sat yesterday – I saw four of them sitting there. Edward was not with them.

He wasn't in Biology either. I really wanted to think about it but I had to focus on what the teacher was saying. I couldn't afford to be even more behind with schoolwork than I already was.

On my way home I stopped at the library to get the books I needed to read. There were quite a few of them, so as soon as I got home I started to read one of them, Bronte's novel Wuthering Heights. Then Charlie got home and I prepared dinner for us, this time Spagetti Carbonara. I was beginning to enjoy cooking.

Nothing interesting happened during the rest of the week. I was struggling to keep up with the classes at school and then I usually made dinner and did more schoolwork at home. There was no time to think about the mysterious Cullens or about the war in Britain. And Edward Cullen was still missing.

One evening, it was Friday, I was sitting at the table eating dinner with Charlie. Suddenly I had an idea.

"Dad?" I started hesitantly.

"Hm?"

"Do you know the Cullen family?" I asked watching closely his reaction.

"Dr. Cullen's family? Sure. Dr. Cullen's a great man," he said lifting his eyebrows.

"They… the kids… are a little different. They don't seem to fit in very well at school."

Charlie suprised me by looking angry.

"People in this town," he muttered. "Dr. Cullen is a brilliant surgeon who could probably work in any hospital in the world, make ten times the salary he gets here," he continued, getting louder. "We're lucky to have him – lucky that his wife wanted to live in a small town. He's an asset to the community, and all those kids are well behaved and polite. I had my doubts, when they first moved in, with all those adopted teenagers. I thought we might have some problems with them. But they're all very mature – I haven't had one speck of trouble from any of them. That's more than I can say for the children of some folks who have lived in this town for generations. And they stick together the way a family should – camping trips every other weekend… Just because they're newcomers, people have to talk."

I stared at him for a few moments. It was the longest speech I'd ever heard Charlie make.

I backpedaled. "They seemed nice enough to me. I just noticed they kept to themselves. That's all." I shrugged.

He seemed to calm down a bit and we finished the dinner in silence. He cleared the table while I started on the dishes. I couldn't wait for being able to do it by magic. I hated housework.

After I finished I went to my bedroom and took a piece of paper from my bedside table. It was a list of signs how to recognize a vampire I'd made when I was reading my old DADA books a few nights before. I'd decided to stick with my vampire theory because it was the best theory I could think of. There were many signs that fit. Their white skin, their beauty, their unnatural stillness. Also there was the mention of two animal drinking vampire covens that lived in North America. One was known to live in Alaska, the other didn't have permanent residence because they had to move from one place to another every few years.

Still it didn't explain Edward's mysterious disappearance.

There was something about me that made him uncomfortable. Just him not the others. Though the others had never been anywhere near me. Maybe witches and wizards smell different to vampires. I knew we were immune to some of the Gifts that some vampires have but I couldn't find anything about smell. Then I remembered the vampire at Slughorn's party. He didn't seem to mind being surrounded by wizards. So apparently this wasn't the problem.

Then I remembered something. Something I read in the Hogwart's library a few years ago. It was a story about a vampire who fell in love with a human girl who smelled so good to him that he couldn't control himself and killed her. I wondered if that really could happen or it was just a story.

* * *

My first weekend in Forks passed without incident. Charlie, unused to spending time in the usually empty house, worked most of the weekend. I didn't mind. I cleaned the house which took me most of the Saturday because I couldn't use magic. I remembered a list of housework spells that I'd gotten from Mrs Weasley and that laid safely in my drawer. I sighed. One more week and I would be seventeen and this torture would be over.

I cleaned Agnes' cage but there wasn't much to clean because she'd spent most of the time outside. Sometimes she appeared just to check on me and then she was gone again. I knew she wasn't far though and if I ever needed her, she would be here.

I spent the whole Sunday doing schoolwork and reading Wuthering Heights. It was quite a short book so I could check it off as finished on my reading list.

* * *

People greeted me in the parking lot Monday morning. I didn't know all their names, but I waved back and smiled at everyone. It was colder this morning but not raining. In English, Mike sat next to me. We had a pop quiz on Wuthering Heights. It was surprisingly easy so I felt good about it.

My good mood lasted until lunch. I walked to the cafeteria with Angela. I quite liked Angela. She didn't talk much and didn't ask questions about my previous school. I glanced toward that table in the corner out of habit. And then I froze where I stood. There were five people at the table.

I didn't know why I had been taken aback like that. I knew either he would be back one day or they all would be gone.

"Are you alright, Bella?" asked Angela quietly.

"What?" I turned back to her, confused. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine," I said and my cheeks turned pink.

Angela didn't ask any more questions and after we bought our food she led the way to our usual table. I tried to eat something but for some reason I'd lost my appetite. What was wrong with me? I wasn't afraid of vampires, not the animal drinkers. I'd decided that they must have been pretty civilized, otherwise they wouldn't have been able to stay around humans. But I couldn't get his gaze full of hatred and hunger from last week out of my head.

I briefly considered skipping Biology but then I decided that I wasn't such a coward. I quickly glanced at the Cullens family table. Edward didn't look angry. In fact, he and his siblings were quietly talking and even laughing.

I quickly looked back and tried to listen to a conversation at our table. They were talking about a weekend trip to the beach. I'd been invited but I wasn't sure I wanted to go. It would be my birthday and I wanted to spend it with Charlie. I didn't tell anyone about it.

After lunch I took a deep breath and headed to the Biology class with Angela. Once inside the classroom, I saw with relief that my table was still empty. The teacher, Mr. Banner, was walking around the room, distributing one microscope and a box of slides to each table. Class didn't start for a few minutes and the room buzzed with conversation. I kept my eyes away from the door, doodling idly on the cover of my notebook.

I heard very clearly when the chair next to me moved, but my eyes stayed carefuly focused on the pattern I was drawing.

"Hello," said a quiet musical voice next to me.

I stared in front of me for a few seconds before I slowly turned to face him. He was smiling politely and his eyes were... gold. So I was right. He was an animal drinking vampire. Their eyes turn gold after drinking animal blood instead of red. That meant his family must be one of the North America covens.

"My name is Edward Cullen," he continued. "I didn't have a chance to introduce myself last week. You must be Bella Swan." Of course he knew perfectly well who I was. People were undoubtedly talking about me and he had superhearing.

"Uhm... hi," I said when I realised I had been staring at him like an idiot.

I quickly turned back to the teacher as he explained the lab we would be doing today. The slides in the box were out of order. Working as lab partners, we had to separate the slides of onion root tip cells into the phases of mitosis they represented and label them accordingly. We weren't supposed to use our books. In twenty minutes, he would be coming around to see who had it right.

I sighed and moved the slides slightly so they were in the middle of the table. I had no idea what a mitosis was. I tried really hard not to look desperate.

"You don't know what you're supposed to do, do you?" Edward asked sounding amused. There was no point lying so I just shook my head staring bluntly at the microscope.

"Pretend you're looking into the microscope, then," he suggested and I just nodded again.

I wondered why he was trying to be nice. Sure he must have fed because he wasn't hungry and it was always easier for vampires to be around humans then. But it wasn't the hunger that had scared me. It was the hatred.

We worked in silence, I looked into the microscope, he pretented to check after me and then he wrote it down. When we were finished I looked around and saw that everyone else was still working.

Which left me with nothing to do but try not to look at him… unsuccesfully. I glanced up and he was staring at me, that same inexplicable look of frustration in his eyes.

Mr. Banner came to our table then, to see why we weren't working. He looked over our shoulders to glance at the completed lab and then stared more intently to check the answers.

"So, Edward, didn't you think Isabella should get a chance with the microscope?" Mr. Banner asked.

"Actually, Bella identified three of the five," Edward lied smoothly. I tried not to look surprised and nodded with a slight smile.

Mr. Banner looked at me now. His expression was skeptical.

"Have you done this lab before?" he asked.

"Eh... no. But it wasn't that hard," I lied. Mr Banner just mumbled something and walked away.

"Thanks," I mumbled to Edward.

"No problem." He shrugged.

I started doodling again not wanting to look at him. I could feel his eyes watching my face.

"You came here from Britain," he said suddenly.

I looked up, surprised. I had the feeling that he was forcing himself to make small talk with me. He was waiting for me to say something.

"Uhm... yeah," was all I could manage. I hoped he wouldn't ask why.

"Why?"

Great. I really didn't feel like telling the truth to a stranger even if there wasn't such a thing as the International Statute of Secrecy. Not even when he was a vampire so technicaly he was a part of my world. But not all vampires knew about us, only the old ones that remembered times before the Statute of Secrecy. I hadn't even told Charlie the real reason why I came here. He only knew that I wasn't safe in Britain anymore.

For some reason I didn't want to lie to Edward. He was watching me, waiting for the answer again, his eyes looked like he was trying to decipher something.

"It's complicated," I said with a sigh.

"I'm sure I can keep up," he insisted.

"I couldn't stay there. There have been some... complications," I said after looking for the right word.

"What complications?"

"I don't want to talk about it." I really really didn't.

He must have heard the urgency in my voice because he didn't press further.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled but he continued staring at me. It made me very nervous so I turned back to face the front of the room.

"You look sad," he said after a minute or so.

"I miss my old school," I said honestly before I could stop myself.

"You miss your school?" he asked sounding incredulous. "There're not many people who would say that." He was smiling now.

Not many people go to a school of magic, I thought and grimaced.

"It was a good school and I had friends there," I said in a bit irritated tone.

"Am I annoying you?" he asked quietly.

"No. I just don't understand why you're so interested in my life." I finally turned to him again.

His face was apologetic.

"I'm sorry," he said again. "I didn't mean to upset you."

Mr. Banner called the class to order then, and I turned with relief to listen. Edward had seemed engrossed in our conversation, but now I could see, from the corner of my eye, that he was leaning away from me again, his hands gripping the edge of the table with unmistakable tension.

When the bell finally rang, Edward rushed as swiftly and as gracefully from the room as he had last Monday.


	4. Accident

**A/N: Hi! First I'd like to wish you all a very happy Christmas! Second, thank you so much for your nice reviews and PM's. As a little present for you here is another chapter. Hope you'll enjoy it :)**

 **EDIT: 08/10/2018 - some minor corrections made.**

 **Chapter four**

I thought dinner would be a quiet event as usual. But I was wrong. Charlie'd apparently decided that it was time he found out more about my sudden departure from Britain.

"Bella," he started, looking hesitant.

"Hm?"

"Ehm… You know I didn't want to upset you so I didn't ask why you'd left Britain," he said.

"Yes and I appreciate that, Dad," I said slowly.

"Well, I think it's time you told me about it." He looked directly into my eyes.

I looked away. I knew he hated making me uncomfortable but I understood that he had the right to know. I just didn't know if I would be able to talk about it.

"Dad." I sighed looking back at him. "I don't like talking about it."

"I know," he said. "But I'm worried about you. You said it wasn't safe for you to stay there. And I want to know why. Does anyone want to hurt you?" He looked terrified of the very thought.

"Yes."

"Who and why?"

So I told him. About Voldemort (of course I avoided the name) and his anti-muggle policy and that muggle-born wizards weren't considered proper wizards anymore and if I hadn't left they would have brought me in front of a commission that would have probably arrested me or worse.

Charlie went pale and looked utterly terrified.

"Why- why didn't you tell me before? That there are people like him?" he demanded. "I wouldn't have let you go there."

"That's exactly why I didn't tell you," I said with another sigh.

"But why would you want to go to a place that was dangerous for you?"

"It wasn't always dangerous, Dad," I pointed out. "Only after You Know Who returned. But even then there was still Dumbledore. With him at Hogwarts we were safe."

"So where is this Dumbledore now? Did he leave?"

"No, Dad," I whispered. "He was killed."

After that I got up and ran into my room, I couldn't stand it anymore. I lay down on my bed and burried my face into a pillow.

Several minutes later I heard knocking on my door.

"Bella? Are you ok?" Charlie sounded upset. I must have scared him.

"I-I'm fine, Dad," I sobbed. "Just need time."

"Ok, honey. If you need something, I'm here."

"Thanks, Dad."

* * *

Next morning I woke up quite early. I lay for a while, thinking about today. I felt strangely excited about seeing the Cullens again. Or rather – him. I didn't understand why. He was a vampire, I was sure about it now. I should stay away from him. But there was something mysterious about him. I wanted to know why he'd seemed to hate me the first time we'd met. I wanted to know what was behind his sudden interest in me yesterday.

And there was other reason why I wanted to think about his secrets – I'd rather think about anything but the situation in Britain.

It had taken me ages before I'd fallen asleep last night. Charlie had made me think about things I didn't want to think. It was driving me crazy that I didn't know what was going on. How many people had died since I left? How many of them were people I knew?

I blinked back tears. I wanted to do something. I _needed_ to do something. As soon as I was seventeen I needed to try and train myself. I decided that I would learn all the spells we were suppposed to learn this year. I had all the books here with me. I had managed to buy them before I had to leave.

But I had another problem. I had to learn how to apparate. I needed someone who would teach me how to do it and I had no idea where to find them. I didn't know any witches or wizards in America, except for the lady who had come to tell me I was a witch when I was eleven. And I had no idea where she lived. I would have to work something out.

I glanced at the alarm clock on my bedside table. It was time to get ready for school.

When I came in the kitchen, fully dressed, I could see that Charlie had already left. I thought he didn't want to make pressure on me with more questions. I appreciated that. I didn't want to scare him even more.

I looked out the window to check today's weather. It wasn't raining but the street was wet. There was something strange about it. I squinted at the street for a whole minute before I realised what it was. There was ice on it.

I groaned quietly. How could it be so cold in September? According to the calendar it was still summer.

I opened the window to make sure I wasn't dreaming. The freezing air hit mi in the face so I quickly closed it again.

I sighed and went to change my clothes for something warmer. I couldn't resist putting my Gryffindor scarf on and it made me feel a bit better.

When I stepped out of the front door, I tightened the thick jacket I'd dug out of my trunk and carefully walked to my truck. I was panicking a little. I still wasn't a good driver and I'd never driven on a frozen road.

I drove very slowly, even more than usual, but my truck seemed to have no problem with the ice. Still I didn't want to risk it.

When I got out of my truck at school, I saw why I'd had so little trouble. Something silver caught my eye, and I walked to the back of the truck – carefully holding the side for support – to examine my tires. There were thin chains crisscrossed in diamond shapes around them. Charlie had gotten up who knows how early to put snow chains on my truck. My throat suddenly felt tight. I wasn't used to being taken care of and Charlie's unspoken concern caught me by surprise.

I was standing by the back corner of the truck, struggling to fight back the sudden wave of emotion the snow chains had brought on, when I heard an odd sound.

It was a high-pitched screech and it was fast becoming painfully loud. I looked up, startled.

I saw several things simultaneously. Nothing was moving in slow motion the way it does in the movies. Instead, the adrenaline rush seemed to make my brain work much faster and I was able to absorb in clear detail several things at once.

Edward Cullen was standing four cars down from me, staring at me in horror. His face stood out from a sea of faces, all frozen in the same mask of shock. But of more immediate importance was the dark blue van that was skidding, tires locked and squealing against the brakes, spinning wildly across the ice of the parking lot. It was going to hit the back corner of my truck and I was standing between them. I didn't even have time to close my eyes.

Just before I heard the shattering crunch of the van folding around the truck bed, something hit me, hard, but not from the direction I was expecting. My head cracked against the icy blacktop, and I felt something solid and cold pinning me to the ground. I was laying on the pavement behind the tan car I'd parked next to. But I didn't have a chance to notice anything else, because the van was still coming. It had curled gratingly around the end of the truck and, still spinning and sliding, was about to collide with me again.

A low oath made me aware that someone was with me, and the voice was impossible not to recognize. Two long white hands shot out protectively in front of me and the van shuddered to a stop a foot from my face, the large hands fitting providentially into a deep dent in the side of the van's body.

Then his hands moved so fast they blurred. One was suddenly gripping under the body of the van and something was dragging me, swinging my legs around like a ragdoll's till they hit the tire of the tan car. A groaning metallic thud hurt my ears and the van settled, glass popping, onto the asphalt – exactly where a second ago my legs had been.

It was absolutely silent for one long second before the screaming began. In the abrupt bedlam I could hear more than one person shouting my name. But more clearly than all the yelling I could hear Edward Cullen's low, frantic voice in my ear.

"Bella? Are you all right?"

"I'm fine." My voice sounded strange. I tried to sit up and realised he was holding me against the side of his body in an iron grasp.

"Be careful," he warned as I struggled. "I think you hit your head pretty hard."

I became aware of a throbbing ache centered above my left ear.

"Ow," I said, surprised.

"That's what I thought." His voice, amazingly, sounded like he was suppressing laughter.

I stared at him unable to say anything. I just realized that he'd used his vampire speed and strength to save my life. He'd risked exposure of his kind to humans.

I knew I had to be quiet and not to say anything in case anyone asked how had Edward gotten to me so quickly. I wondered if he knew I'd seen him standing so far from me.

His eyes were searching my face no doubt to find whether I'd noticed him before or not. I lowered my gaze and tried to sit up again. This time he let me, releasing his hold around my waist and sliding as far from me as he could in the limited space.

And then they found us, a crowd of people with tears streaming down their faces, shouting at each other, shouting at us.

"Don't move," someone instructed.

"Get Tyler out of the van!" Someone else shouted.

There was a flurry of activity around us. I tried to get up, but Edward's cold hands pushed my shoulder down.

"Just stay put for now."

"But it's cold," I complained. It surprised me when he chuckled under his breath. There was an edge to the sound.

I narrowed my eyes trying not to think about the searing pain above my ear. I'd had much worse.

"Why did you do this?" I whispered, quite sure he could hear me perfectly.

"What?" He looked confused.

"Nothing," I said quickly with a slight smile and looked away. I could still feel his intense gaze on my face but I closed my eyes. I knew that if I continued looking at his face, I would probably said more than I should.

It took six EMTs and two teachers – Mr. Varner and Coach Clapp – to shift the van far enough away from us to bring the stretchers in. Edward vehemently refused his and I tried to do the same, but the traitor told them I'd hit my head and probably had a concussion. I almost died of humiliation when they put on the neck brace. It looked like the entire school was here, watching soberly as they loaded me in the back of the ambulance. Edward got to ride in the front.

To make matters worse, Chief Swan arrived before they could get me safely away.

"Bella!" he yelled in panic when he recognized me on the stretchers.

"I'm completely fine, Dad," I sighed. "There's nothing wrong with me."

But I understood the irony. I'd left Britain because of a crazy murderer only to be killed by a stupid van and saved by a vampire. I had to laugh out loud and the EMT who was with me in the ambulance looked at me with a startled expression.

Naturally, the ambulance got a police escort to the county hospital. They put me in the emergency room, a long room with a line of beds separated by pastel-patterned curtains. A nurse put a pressure cuff on my arm and a thermometer under my tongue. Since no one bothered pulling the curtain around to give me some privacy, I decided I wasn't obligated to wear the stupid-looking neck brace anymore. When the nurse walked away, I quickly unfastened the Velcro and trew it under bed.

I closed my eyes again and imagined myself in the hospital wing at Hogwarts. I was sure that Madam Pomfrey would check me and release me in a minute and would only give me some potion to ease the pain.

There was another flurry of hospital personnel, another stretcher brought to the bed next to me. I recognized the boy from my History class but I couldn't remember his name. I thought they'd called him Tyler though. He had bloodstained bandages wrapped tightly around his head. He looked a hundred times worse than I felt. But he was staring anxiously at me.

"Bella, I'm so sorry!"

"I'm fine, but you look awful, are you all right?" I didn't dare to call him by name in case I got it wrong. As we spoke, nurses began unwinding his soiled bandages, exposing a myriad of shallow slices all over his forehead and left cheek.

He ignored me. "I thought I was going to kill you! I was going too fast and I hit the ice wrong…" He winced as one nurse started dabbing at his face.

"Don't worry about it, you missed me."

"How did you get out of the way so fast? You were there and then you were gone…"

"Umm… Edward pulled me out of the way."

He looked confused. "Who?"

"Edward Cullen – he was standing next to me." I was used to lying so I had no problem doing it now.

"Cullen? I didn't see him… wow, it was all so fast, I guess. Is he okay?"

"I think so. He's here somewhere, but they didn't make him use a stretcher."

They wheeled me away then, to X-ray my head. I told them there was nothing wrong and I was right. Not even a concussion. I asked if I could leave, but the nurse said I had to talk to a doctor first. So I was trapped in the ER, waiting, harassed by Tyler's constant apologies and promises to make it up to me. No matter how many times I tried to convince him I was fine, he continued to torment himself. Finally, I closed my eyes and ignored him. He kept up a remorseful mumbling.

"Is she sleeping?" a musical voice asked. My eyes flew open.

Edward was standing at the foot of my bed, smirking but there was this constant spark of curiosity in his eyes.

"Hey, Edward, I'm really sorry - " Tyler began.

Edward lifted a hand to stop him.

"No blood, no foul," he said, flashing his brilliant teeth. I had to bit my lip so I wouldn't smile. He moved to sit on the edge of Tyler's bed, facing me. He smirked again.

"So, what's the verdict?" he asked me.

"There's nothing wrong with me at all, but they won't let me go," I complained. "How come you aren't strapped to a gurney like the rest of us?" I said that mostly for Tyler's benefit.

"It's all about who you know," he answered. "But don't worry, I came to spring you."

Then a doctor walked around the corner and my mouth fell open. He was young, he was blond and of course, handsome. And like Edward, he was a vampire.


	5. Secret

**A/N: Hi, I know I'm a bit late but I was quite busy during the holidays. Anyway, I'm back to normal so here's another chapter. Enjoy**

 **EDIT: 08/12/2018 Minor corrections made.**

 **Chapter five**

From Charlie's description, he had to be Edward's father. Well, I knew he couldn't be his real father, obviously, since vampires can't have children. But he was apparently the leader of the coven.

I should have been appalled when Charlie'd told me about the "Doctor" but I really hadn't thought that a vampire could work at a hospital. A hospital! With humans and blood everywhere. But his eyes had the same golden colour as Edward's so he must have had an incredible self-control. I'd never thought this could be possible. He didn't seem to notice Tyler's bloody bandages, like he wasn't even there.

I realized that I had been staring at him like an idiot, so I composed my face into more normal expression.

"So, Miss Swan," Dr. Cullen said, "how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," I said. I hoped it was for the last time.

He walked to the lightboard on the wall over my head and turned it on.

"Your X-rays look good," he said. "Does your head hurt? Edward said you hit it pretty hard."

"It's fine," I repeated with a sigh, throwing a quick scowl toward Edward.

The doctor's cool fingers probed lightly along my skull. He noticed when I winced.

"Tender?" he asked.

"Not really." I'd had worse.

I heard a chuckle and looked over to see Edward's patronizing smile. My eyes narrowed.

"Well, your father is in the waiting room - you can go home with him now. But come back if you feel dizzy or have trouble with your eyesight at all."

"Can't I go back to school?" I asked, imagining Charlie trying to be attentive.

"Maybe you should take it easy today."

I glanced at Edward. "I suppose you are going back to school." I already knew the answer.

"Someone has to spread the good news that we survived." Edward said smugly. Stupid vampire, I thought.

"Actually," Dr. Cullen corrected, "most of the school seems to be in the waiting room."

"Great," I moaned.

Dr. Cullen raised his eyebrows. "Do you want to stay?"

"No, no!" I insisted, throwing my legs over the side of the bed and hopping down quickly. Too quickly - I staggered and Dr. Cullen caught me. He looked concerned.

"I'm fine," I assured him again. I'd never said 'I'm fine' so many times in such a short time.

"Take some Tylenol for the pain," he suggested as he steadied me.

"It doesn't hurt that bad," I insisted.

"It sounds like you were extremely lucky," Dr. Cullen said smiling as he signed my chart.

"Yeah." I smiled back and glanced at Edward who was looking at me suspiciously. He was probably still wondering how much I had noticed.

Dr. Cullen turned to Tyler and I walked slowly down the long room. Edward followed me noiselessly. I stopped and turned to face him.

"Uhm... thank you for saving my life," I said, blushing for no reason.

"You're welcome." It looked like he was waiting for me to say more.

"So... see you tomorrow." I smiled and continued walking to the waiting room, leaving him there staring after me.

When I entered the waiting room, Charlie rushed to my side; I put up my hands.

"There's nothing wrong with me," I assured him.

"What did the doctor say?"

"Dr. Cullen saw me and said I was fine and I could go home."

Charlie put one arm behind my back, not quite touching me, and led me to the glass doors of the exit. I waved sheepisly to Angela, who was in the waiting room with others, and then we walked out and to the cruiser.

We drove in silence. I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that I barely knew Charlie was there. I still couldn't believe what Edward had done. He risked everything because of me. His coven, or maybe I should start calling them "family", must have been furious.

I was wondering if he suspected that I was different too. I didn't know if he'd ever heard about wizards and I wasn't sure telling him would be a good idea. But I suddenly realized that I wanted him to know me. What was wrong with me?

"Did you call mum?" I asked Charlie so I could think about something else.

"Not yet." He glanced at me uncertainly. „Did you want me to?"

"No... not really." I was relieved. I didn't want to disrupt her happy normal life.

"Maybe you should tell her, though," said Charlie suddenly. He'd pulled up the car. We were home now.

"Why would I do that?" I asked incredulously while getting out of the car.

"She's your mother," said Charlie defensively. "One thing is not bothering her with problems in wizarding world but this is different. It was an accident, not attempted murder."

"I still don't see how it is different," I murmured, walking to the front door. "She would freak out anyway."

"Well, it's up to you." Charlie shrugged but he let the subject go.

* * *

Charlie decided to stay at home with me for the rest of the day even though I tried to persuade him to go back to work. So I gave up and went to my room to do some schoolwork. I was still behind everyone from my class. Unfortunately my head kept aching a bit so I took the pill Dr. Cullen had given me and fell asleep. I woke up right before dinner. Charlie had ordered a pizza so at least I didn't have to cook.

After dinner I decided to call mum after all. I didn't tell her about the accident (Charlie threw me an disapproving look) but listened to her cheerful babble about her life in Florida, where she'd moved with her new husband Phil (she still owned our house in Phoenix so I could be there with her in the summer).

I spent the rest of the evening reading my Biology textbook. I didn't want to be the worst in the class and I didn't want Edward to do all the work again. It would only raise more questions about my previous school.

In the morning the weather was warmer so I didn't have to worry about ice anymore. I felt surprisingly cheerful and even Charlie noticed.

"You look better," he observed.

"Had a good sleep." I smiled, pouring some milk into a bowl of cereals.

"Listen," he said and then hesitated a bit. "I was thinking… it's your birthday this Saturday."

"Yes," I said, turning back to face him.

"Well, I was wondering, what would you like to do?"

"Uhm… nothing?" I didn't like birthday parties and he knew that.

"It's a big one. You will be seventeen. Didn't you say that you come of age at seventeen in your world?"

"Yeah." I nodded. This was the only reason I was looking forward to my birthday. I would be able to do magic.

"Well, maybe we should invite your mother for the weekend," he suggested. I could tell that he had been thinking about it for a while.

"Dad." I sighed, shaking my head. "She's in Florida. I talked to her last night, she said she had a plan for the weekend. She's sending me a present by mail."

"Maybe she could cancel…"

"No, she couldn't." I said it sharper that I'd intended so I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "Listen, Dad. I know you're worried about me, but I'm fine. There's no need to get Mum involved in my life more than is necessary. And she hates it here anyway."

"It was just an idea, that's all." Charlie put up his hands in defense. "But I still think we should celebrate it. Maybe you should invite your school friends over."

"They're going to the beach."

"Are you going with them?" He sounded hopeful.

"No, I wanted to spend my birthday with you."

"So at least let's invite Billy Black and his son, Jacob. You know, I bought you the truck from them."

That didn't sound that bad.

"Well, yeah, sounds good." I smiled and glanced at my watch. "You're be late for work."

"Oh," he said, suprised. "I'd better go then. Bye, Bells."

* * *

I managed to arrive at school without causing any incident. I knew people would ask me about the accident so stuck to the story I'd made up yesterday. I told everyone who asked that Edward had been standing next to me and pulled me out of the way. Some people were surprised because they hadn't noticed him standing anywhere near me, but I was very persuasive.

I arrived in the Biology class and went to my usual seat. The table was still empty so I sat down, prepated to pull out my things. After a few seconds I heard the chair next to me move. I turned my head to him at once.

"Hello." I smiled at Edward who looked surprised by my good mood.

"Hello."

He didn't say anything else but stared at me with the same curious and speculating look as yesterday and the day before. It made me wonder what he was thinking and frankly, it was slightly unnerving. At last I pulled my textbook out of my bag, glad that I didn't have to stare at him. I opened the book on the chapter we were supposed to go through today.

"How is your head?" Edward asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Fine, thanks." Everyone kept asking me this question so it was becoming quite annoying.

Before he could ask me more questions, Mike came to our table. He glanced at Edward uncertainly but then smiled at me.

"So, Bella, are you coming to the beach with us this Saturday?" he asked excitedly.

I'd forgotten to tell my new schoolmates that I wouldn't come.

"Sorry, Mike, but I have other plans." I carefully avoided mentioning my birthday.

"What plans?" he almost snapped. He was clearly disappointed. From the corner of my eye I thought I could see Edward scowl.

"Some family friends are coming to visit." I was suddenly grateful for Charlie's idea. At least I didn't have to lie.

At that moment Mr. Banner arrived so I was saved from more questioning. Mike returned to his seat and I turned my head to the teacher.

The lesson was quite boring but I was determined to get better at this stupid subject so I took the notes carefully.

When the bell finally rang I put my things back to my bag and turned to Edward to say bye. He was staring at me again.

"What?" I snapped at him. My patience had worn off.

"Sorry?" he asked, confused.

"Why do you keep staring at me like that?"

"Oh," he said looking embarrassed. "Sorry. I'm just trying to figure something out," he admitted.

"What are you trying to figure out?" I asked slowly, not sure what he was getting at.

"If you are..." he started but then changed his mind and shook his head. "Well, never mind," he said quickly, raising to his feet.

"If I am what?" I stared at him but he just smiled slightly and quickly walked away.


	6. Birthday

**A/N: Hi! Thank you so much for your nice reviews. They make me really happy and it's a great motivation :) Anyway, here's another chapter. Enjoy!**

 **EDIT: 08/12/2018 Minor corrections made.**

 **Chapter** **six**

I was thinking about Edward's behaviour as I was driving home. Was it possible that he knew I was a witch? Or was it something else? Sometimes he'd looked very frustrated like he was trying to read something... Then suddenly it hit me so hard that I nearly crashed into a car in front of me that had stopped at the intersection. I stamped on the brake just in time. I waved apologetically at the angry driver who clapped his forehead and drove away.

Of course, Edward was a mind reader! And he couldn't read my mind because it didn't work on wizards and witches. But he could read Charlie's mind. So he knew. Except, he'd still looked frustrated this afternoon, I realised a few seconds later. So maybe Charlie wasn't thinking about me being a witch when he'd been near Edward or Edward had to be very close to that person so he would be able to read their mind.

When I got home, I was still thinking about Edward. Should I tell Charlie to not think about me when he's near the Cullens? But that would mean telling him what they were and that was something I really wasn't sure I should do. Though Charlie knew that there were creatures like vampires and werewolves in my world, I wasn't sure how he would react if I told him a family of vampires lived in his town. I didn't think he would be very happy about it.

While I was cooking dinner, I decided not telling Charlie about the Cullens. At least not now. But I still didn't know what to do about it. Should I tell Edward that I know what they were which would mean I would have to explain all about me or should I try and avoid him as much as possible? I didn't like the latter option much but at last I decided for it. I would try and ignore Edward Cullen. Starting tomorrow.

* * *

So for the rest of the week I determinedly tried to avoid glancing his direction at lunch. This actually wasn't that hard because I still sat at the table with the same bunch of people as usual so all I had to do was to join the conversation. They all seemed to be glad that I'd finally gotten over the initial shyness, and only Angela looked at me a bit suspiciously.

Biology was a lot harder. Edward was trying to be nice again. He asked how I was doing and whether I needed help with today's lab again but I just shooked my head and stubbornly kept looking ahead of me. After a few attempts he gave up but I could see, from the corner of my eye, his confused expression. When the bell finally rang I quickly packed my things and walked to Mike so I could accompany him on the way to Gym. Mike looked very happy.

I did exactly the same the next day. This time Edward didn't try talking to me but kept staring at me the whole hour. I gritted my teeth and started making careful notes, ignoring him completely. It was quite exhausting so I was glad it was Friday and that meant two Cullen-free days. I wasn't as happy about it as I should be.

* * *

I woke up Saturday morning, feeling strange. It took me a while before I understood why. I was seventeen. The day I had been looking forward to for months was finally here. I stretched out my hand and took my wand that had been laying on my bedside table. I closed my eyes, thinking about what spell I should do first.

I opened my eyes again and lifted myself into a sitting position. Then I noticed that my precious enchanted galleon had fallen on the floor from the bedside table so I made a slight movement with my wand and murmured, " _Wingardium Leviosa_." The galleon slowly rose up into the air and I caught it into my left hand. I grinned happily.

Then I got up and summoned a pair of jeans and one of my favourite t-shirts using the Summoning charm. It was rather silly but I was so happy I could finally use magic that I didn't care. I got dressed and went downstairs to make breakfast.

Charlie surprised me. He was standing next to the kitchen table, pouring fresh orange juice into a glass next to a plate full of scrambled eggs and toasts. When he spotted me he smiled widely.

"Happy birthday, honey."

"Wow, Dad." I stared at the eggs. "That's for me?"

"No. It's for my other daughter. Didn't I tell you, you had a twin-sister?" he said with a serious expression.

I laughed.

"Thanks, Dad. It looks amazing."

I hugged him and then I noticed two wrapped boxes on one of the kitchen chairs. I raised my eyebrows.

"Eat first or it gets cold. I don't want to make them again, I nearly threw the pan out the window."

I laughed again but did as I was told. It was surprisingly good.

"It's good, Dad. Maybe you should do the cooking from now on," I suggested. His terrified expression made me laugh again.

"So, how does it feel being an adult?" he asked while I was eating.

"Well, I don't feel older," I said thoughtfully, "and I can do magic now, so I'd say it feels great." I smiled.

"So can you show me some magic tricks now?" Charlie asked, unable to keep his excitement from his face for any longer.

"You've seen magic before," I reminded him of the several occasions he had been around wizards, like when the witch, who had come to tell me what I was, had to demonstrate that she was telling the truth or when he had accompanied me to Diagon Alley on my first trip to that place. And of course he had met the Weasleys.

"Yes, but I haven't seen you doing it." He was almost bouncing with excitement now.

I laughed at his expression and put the fork down. I pulled my wand out of the secret pocket I had made in my jeans so it wouldn't stick out of it and murmuring a few well chosen words I sent my empty plate and glass towards the kitchen counter where they landed noiselessly. Charlie watched it in amazement.

"Wow," was all he said, but his eyes were wide.

I smiled and my eyes fell on the two wrapped boxes.

"I really hope you didn't spend much money for it." I sighed. Charlie, who still had been staring at my plate, now innocently laying on the counter, finally turned his head to me.

"Nope, but I can't say the same about your mother." He grinned.

I just rolled my eyes and, taking a deep breath, started unwrapping the smaller one. It was a small muggle camera.

"Dad…" I started to protest but he interrupted me.

"It's from your mum. Apparently she, or rather her new husband…" He grimaced. "…has no problem with money."

I didn't say anything. While I quite liked Mum's new husband, Charlie had a certain grudge against him. I didn't blame him though. He still loved my mother and he'd taken it pretty hard when she'd left him. I unwrapped the second present which contained a scrapbook, so I could fill it with photographs.

"Thanks, Dad." I smiled and I hugged him again.

"Well, it was your mother's idea." He shrugged but he sounded happy that I liked it.

* * *

I spent most of the morning in my bedroom practising the most common spells and trying to learn some new ones from the list Mrs. Weasley had given me in the summer. I also thought about finally unpacking the photos of me and my wizarding friends but I was afraid that I could have a muggle visitor and I had no idea how I would explain the moving photographs. I wondered if there was a spell that would keep the pictures still.

Billy Black and his son Jacob arrived shortly after four in the afternoon. Billy was in a wheelchair like Charlie had said. He was an older, heavyset man with a memorable face – a face that overflowed, the cheeks resting against his shoulders, with creases running through the russet skin like an old leather jacket. Jacob looked fourteen, maybe fifteen and had long, glossy black hair pulled back with a rubber band at the nape of his neck. His skin was beautiful, silky and the same colour as his father's. They both had the same dark eyes.

After Charlie officially introduced us, they both wished me a happy birthday and surprised me with a cake.

"Wow, thank you." I smiled. "You shouldn't have."

"Don't worry, we didn't make it ourselves," Jacob assured me. "You wouldn't be able to enjoy it for long."

"Well, that's a relief, I suppose." I laughed and invited them in.

They brought a pizza as well so we ate and talked for a while. I managed to avoid the topic of my old school by stating that I'd simply transfered here from Britain. After dinner, Charlie and Billy decided they wanted to watch a game of baseball on TV so I invited Jacob upstairs into my bedroom. Fortunatelly I'd cleaned the room before they arrived and hid all my magical things in my wardrobe.

"Nice," said Jacob, looking around my room.

"So, what would you want to do?" I asked.

"Uhm, I don't know." He shrugged, sitting on my bed. "Do you have any board games?"

I was sure there was a pack of Exploding Snap in my trunk but that wasn't something I could play with Jacob.

"I'm afraid I don't," I said with a sigh.

"So how do you like the truck?" he asked after a while.

"I love it. It runs great." I was grateful for this new topic of conversation.

"Yeah, but it's really slow." He laughed. "I was so relived when Charlie bought it. My dad wouldn't let me work on building another car when we had a perfectly good vehicle right there."

"It's not that slow," I objected.

"Have you tried to go over sixty?"

"No," I admitted.

"Good. Don't." He grinned.

I couldn't help grinning back. "It does great in a collision," I offered in my truck's defense.

"I don't think a tank could take out that old monster," he agreed with another laugh.

"So you build cars?" I asked, impressed.

"When I have free time and parts. You wouldn't happen to know where I could get my hands on a master cylinder for a 1986 Volkswagen Rabbit?" he added jokingly. He had a pleasant, husky voice.

"Sorry," I laughed, "I haven't seen any lately, but I'll keep my eyes open for you." As if I knew what that was. He was very easy to talk with.

"Too bad you don't have a TV here," he said after a few seconds. "We could watch a movie."

"Yeah," I grimaced. "I haven't seen a good film for ages." That was true. Electrical devices didn't work at Hogwarts.

"A good horror movie would be great. Are you easily scared?" he asked, eyeing me curiously.

I had to laugh. "No, not really." At least I couldn't think of anything that would scare me more than Lord Voldemort at the moment.

"So you like scary stories?"

"I love them." I could tell him many scary stories that would give him some good nightmares.

"Do you know any of our old stories, about where we came from – the Quileutes, I mean?" he began.

"Not really," I admitted.

"Well, there are lots of legends, some of them claiming to date back to the Flood – supposedly, the ancient Quileutes tied their canoes to the tops of the tallest trees on the mountain to survive like Noah and the Ark." He smiled. "Another legend claims that we descended from wolves – and that the wolves are our brothers still. It's against tribal law to kill them. Then there are the stories about the cold ones." His voice dropped a little lower.

"The cold ones?" I asked surprised. Was it possible that he knew about the Cullens?

"Yes. There are stories of the cold ones as old as the wolf legends, and some much more recent. According to legend, my own great-grandfather knew some of them. He was the one who made the treaty that kept them off our land." He rolled his eyes.

"Your great-grandfather?" I encouraged. I was intrigued now. I wanted to know what he knew.

"He was a tribal elder, like my father. You see, the cold ones are the natural enemies of the wolf – well, not the wolf, really, but the wolves that turn into men, like our ancestors. You would call them werewolves."

I stared at Jacob. Surely, he couldn't mean the _real_ werewolves. That wasn't something people would be proud of. Jacob certainly sounded like it was something cool.

"So werewolves have enemies?" I asked, forcing myself to pay attention again.

"Only one."

He paused dramaticaly.

"So you see," Jacob continued, "the cold ones are traditionally our enemies. But this pack that came to our territory during my great-grandfather's time was different. They didn't hunt the way others of their kind did – they weren't supposed to be dangerous to the tribe. So my great-grandfather made a truce with them. If they would promise to stay off our lands, we wouldn't expose them to the pale-faces." He winked at me.

"If they weren't dangerous, then why…?" I asked so he would think I was completely clueless.

"There's always a risk for humans to be around the cold ones, even if they're civilized like this clan was. You never know when they might get too hungry to resist." He deliberately worked a thick edge of menace into his tone.

"What do you mean, civilized?" I was still playing dumb.

"They claimed that they didn't hunt humans. They supposedly were somehow able to prey on animals instead."

"But what are they?" I asked, just to be sure that Jacob's supposed legends corresponded with my knowledge about the vampires.

He smiled darkly.

"Blood drinkers," he replied in a chilling voice. "Your people call them vampires."

So the Quileutes knew about vampires. Or at least the elders did. Jacob clearly thought it was just a legend, one of the scary stories he could tell his friends. And the Quileutes themselves had some magic in them, if the other story about the wolves was true. But they couldn't be the real werewolves, only some kind of shape-shifters. I wondered if they knew about wizards.

"You want to know the best part?" he asked in a mysterious tone.

"Sure."

"You know the Doctor Cullen family?"

Here we go, I thought.

"Yes."

"Well, it's them. The cold ones. Or at least that's what the legend says."

"Wow," I said, pretending to be shocked. "I knew they were different, but vampires?"

"Pretty crazy stuff, isn't it? No wonder my dad doesn't want us to talk about it to anyone."

"Don't worry, I won't give you away," I promised. I was pretty good at keeping secrets.

"I guess I just violated the treaty." He laughed.

"I'll take it to the grave," I said, smiling.

"Seriously, though, don't say anything to Charlie. He was pretty mad at my dad when he heard that some of us weren't going to the hospital since Dr. Cullen started working there."

"I won't, of course not."

* * *

After Billy and Jacob left, I said good night to Charlie and went straight to bed. I felt strangely tired and Jacob's stories gave me a lot to think about. Just when I pulled the enchanted galleon out of my pocket to put it on my bedside table as usual, something happened. The galleon started to burn and a few words appeared on the lower side of the coin. It said: " _Happy birthday. GW_."


	7. Port Angeles

**A/N: Hello, it's Saturday so I have another chapter for you. I used a lot of descriptions in this one, mostly from the Twilight book. I feel like I cheated a bit but I really needed it for the story. I promise it will get better in next chapters :) Anyway I think it's time to say again that all rights belong to Stephanie Meyer and also J.K. Rowling.**

 **And again, thank you all for your reviews and PM's. They always make my day! :)**

 **EDIT: 08/12/2018 Minor corrections made.**

 **Chapter seven**

I stared at the galleon like I was seeing it for the first time in my live. She was alive. My best friend was alive and she just wished me a happy birthday. I couldn't believe it. After a month and a half, this was my first contact with the wizarding community. Although the galleon wasn't good for long correspondence, so I didn't know how she had been doing or if the rest of her family was alright, this little message made me feel reconnected to my world.

I tried to think about a good reply to tell her how I appreciated that she'd remembered my birthday. I wanted to know more about her, about her family and about what had been happening in Britain, but I knew it would be too dangerous if I sent her a letter. I sighed. Finally I took my wand and, performing the spell Hermione had taught us long ago, I wrote a simple " _thank you_ " on the coin. Then I tapped on it twice with the tip of my wand. The words shone brightly for a few seconds and then went pale. I knew the message had been sent because the galleon went cold again.

Then I remembered something else I wanted to do. I was seventeen. I could finally listen to the wizarding radio. I knew the code I was supposed to tap with my wand to tune in to the official British wizarding radio station. It was supposed to work from any place in the world so after a few minutes I was listening to a song that was unmistakingly a wizarding one because the singer was singing about love under a love potion. I smiled, feeling excited.

" _I wish you a very good morning_ ," said a male voice with a strong British accent. Of course it was morning in Britain because of the time difference. " _It's six o'clock and we bring you the latest news_. _The new Minister for Magic, Pius Thicknesse appeals to all so called Muggle-borns who have received an invitation to present themselves for interview by the Muggle-born Registration Commission and still haven't done it, to do so by the end of September. All the so called Muggle-borns who refuse to report to the Ministry, will be considered impostors and arrested in Azkaban."_

My good mood vanished. I realised, once again, how lucky I was to be here, in Forks. The radio presenter went on:

 _"The Minister also appeals to anyone who would know about the whereabouts of the Undesirable Number One, Harry Potter, who is a suspect in the Ministry break-in at the beginning of September, to report it to the Ministry of Magic immediately."_

There was a short pause. Then he went on again:

 _"The newly appointed Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Severus Snape, has been making a good progress in establishing a new regime at said school. With the help of the two new professors, Alecto and Amycus Carrows, he has managed to succesfully integrate all new students that had been studying at home the previous years. As you already know, the attendance at Hogwarts is now compulsory for every young witch and wizard in Britain, who has been given their Blood Status."_

I turned the radio off. I couldn't stand it anymore. Of course I knew about the Commission, it had been the reason why I'd come here in the first place. It had been the first thing the new Minister for Magic had done. Kingsley Shacklebolt, an Auror who worked at the Ministry and was a member of the Order of the Phoenix, had warned me and thanks to his warning and the help of the Weasleys I was able to escape a day after Voldemort had taken over the Ministry.

Still, hearing about it now was terrible. I felt so sorry for all the Muggle-borns that had to hide or otherwise be humiliated and arrested. And Snape was the new Headmaster of Hogwarts. I gritted my teeth in anger. Snape, the man who had killed Dumbledore, was now in his place. I felt sick.

Then I remembered the other bit of new information I'd just heard. Harry Potter had broken into the Ministry of Magic, probably with Ron and Hermione, though nothing had been said about the two of them. What had they been doing at the Ministry? I frowned. Whatever it was, it must have been important otherwise they wouldn't have risked being caught like that. But it was a good news. It meant they still hadn't caught him and he was alive and fighting. That gave me a bit more hope.

* * *

I spent the whole Sunday studying new spells. Charlie had gone fishing so I didn't feel bad about being shut in my room all day.

Since I hadn't done any schoolwork for my muggle school, Monday turned out to be horrible. The teachers asked me questions which I failed to answer again in both History and Math and I was actually dreading Biology, not only because I knew Edward Cullen would be there.

I had to remind myself that I'd decided to ignore him. Today it was somehow harder than last week, mainly because we were doing another lab and I had to rely on him again. He did most of the work and never talked to me. Good. I had what I wanted. He was now ignoring me too and it upset me. It was stupid.

When the bell rang I packed my things and was about to join Mike on our way to Gym, when something cold touched my arm.

"Bella?"

I turned quickly to face him before I realised what I was doing.

"What?" I blurted out.

"Are you angry with me?" Edward asked, his face solemn.

I frowned. I hadn't thought of an answer if he ever asked me why I was ignoring him. He was waiting for my answer.

"No," I finally said. "I'm not angry with you."

"So why are you not talking to me?"

"Because…" I paused, staring stupidly at the floor. "It's better this way." I mumbled and quickly walked away. I could feel his gaze piercing my back.

* * *

Rest of the week passed in pretty the same fashion. I wasn't getting any better at my school subjects mostly because I was learning and practising defensive spells every afternoon. On Friday the weather got better and even the sun appeared in the sky. Of course that meant that the Cullens went on one of their „camping trips". It was a relief for me because I didn't have to pretend that I was ignoring Edward. He hadn't tried talking to me again after Monday.

Jessica and Angela were planning a trip to Port Angeles next week to do some shopping and they asked if I wanted to join them. I wanted to look for a bigger bookstore than the one in Forks so I agreed. Even though I was officially adult now, at least according to wizarding laws, I still asked Charlie if he let me go in case he had something planned, other then watching baseball on TV. But Charlie was only happy that I found some new friends and wished me good luck with our shopping.

We planned our trip for Tuesday after school. It was sunny outside for the whole weekend plus Monday so I had surprisingly good mood, clouded only by the fact, that the Cullens were, for obvious reasons, still out of town. I tried to convince myself that it's really better that way and that I really shouldn't be upset about it. Therefore I stubbornly tried to think about other things, like my school subjects. I was slowly getting better at almost all subjects, except Biology (I was really bad without Edward's help and even Mr. Banner noticed) and, sadly, Gym. We did a lot of ball games and unfortunately muggle ball games didn't include flying. I tripped and crashed into other people a lot while running, and even though I was usually really good at scoring goals, I rarely did it now, because others learned to avoid passing me the ball, apparently afraid that I wouldn't make it. It was humiliating but Mike Newton had taken the role of my „savior" and always volunteered to be in my team.

Tuesday morning was sunny again. I dressed in a deep blue V-neck blouse, which Renée had bought me when I was staying with her in August. School passed rather quickly, only Biology dragged a little.

After school, Jessica followed me home in her old white Mercury so that I could ditch my books and truck. I brushed through my hair quickly when I was inside, feeling a lift of excitement as I contemplated getting out of Forks. I left a note for Charlie on the table, explaining where to find dinner, switched my scruffy wallet from my school bag to a purse I rarely used, and ran out to join Jessica. We went to Angela's house next, and she was waiting for us.

Jess drove faster than the Chief, so we made it to Port Angeles by four. I'd never really had the proper girls' night out, if you don't count the Hogsmeade trips, and the estrogen rush was invigorating. We listened to whiny rock songs while Jessica jabbered on about the boys we hung out with. She apparently had a huge crush on Mike but wasn't sure about his feelings. I bit my lip and decided not to tell her about Mike's suspicious chivalry in Gym.

Port Angeles was a beautiful little tourist trap, much more polished and quiant than Forks. But Jessica and Angela knew it well, so they didn't plan to waste time on the picturesque boardwalk by the bay. Jess drove straight to the one big department store in town, which was a few streets in from the bay area's visitor-friendly face.

They mostly wanted to look for some clothes and I could definitely use some new jeans so I decided to follow them and then go and find a bookstore. Jess then surprised me by asking about my dating history. When I gave her my honest answer, she and even Angela stared at me in disbelief.

"You've never had a boyfriend?" Jess couldn't believe it and I was taken aback by her reaction. I was only seventeen, I still had plenty of time to find a boyfriend.

"Well, once I had a crush on a boy but he was three years older than me and soon left the school," I said. It was true and also the only thing I never told Ginny. It had been one of her older brother, Fred, and I was afraid of her reaction. But since Fred had left the school and I'd stopped seeing him every day, the crush had soon been over.

"That's sad," said Angela quietly. I smiled at her, appreciating her concern. I really liked Angela. I would have prefered if it were only the two of us doing the shopping. I felt very comfortable around her.

I finally managed to find a pair of jeans I really liked so I paid for it and asked the girls where I could find a good bookstore. Angela offered coming with me but Jessica said she needed her help with picking a new skirt. I didn't mind though it would have been nice to spend more time with Angela. We agreed on meeting for dinner at a restaurant called _La Bella Italia_ in an hour. The girls told me how to get there and Jess went with me to her car so I could leave my shoppings in there. Then I set off to look for the bookstore Angela had told me about.

I had no trouble finding the bookstore, but it wasn't what I was looking for. The windows were full of crystals, dream-catchers and books about spiritual healing. It would be a waste of time so I didn't even open the door.

I meandered through the streets, which were filling up with the end-of-the-workday traffic, and hoped I was headed toward downtown. I wasn't paying as much attention as I should to where I was going because I'd noticed a silver Volvo parked along the street and my thoughts immediately jumped to Edward. I was hopeless. Why couldn't I get him out of my head? Of course he was beautiful and intelligent and apparently a good person who tried fighting his terrible fate. But he was still a vampire although a good one. And there was also the little fact that he'd saved my life. I still didn't know why he'd done it.

I stomped along in a southerly direction, toward some glass-fronted shops that looked promising. But when I got to them, they were just a repair shop and a vacant space. I still had too much time to go looking for Jess and Angela yet, so I continued around the corner.

I started to realise, as I crossed another road, that I was going the wrong direction. The little foot traffic I had seen was going north, and it looked like the buildings here were mostly warehouses. I decided to turn east at the next corner, and then loop around after a few blocks and try my luck on a different street on my way back to the boardwalk.

A group of four men turned around the corner I was heading for, dressed too casually to be heading home from the office, but they were too grimy to be tourists. As they approached me, I realised they weren't too many years older than I was. They were joking loudly among themselves, laughing raucously and punching each other's arms. I scooted as far to the inside of the pavement as I could to give them room, walking swiftly, looking past them to the corner.

"Hey, there!" one of them called as they passed, and he had to be talking to me since no one else was around. I glanced up automatically and with my right hand made sure I had my wand in my pocket. Two of the men had paused, the other two were slowing. The closest, a heavyset, dark-haired man in his twenties, seemed to be the one who had spoken. He took half a step toward me.

"Hello," I mumbled, a knee-jerk reaction. Then I quickly looked away and walked faster toward the corner. I could hear them laughing at full volume behind me.

"Hey, wait!" one of them called after me again, but I kept my head down and rounded the corner with a sigh of relief. I could still hear them chortling behind me.

I found myself on a pavement leading past the backs of several somber-coloured warehouses, each with large bay doors for unloading trucks, padlocked for the night. The south side of the street had no pavement, only a chain-link fence topped with barbed wire protecting some kind of engine parts storage yard. I'd wandered far past the part of Port Angeles that I, as a guest, was intended to see. It was getting dark, I realised, the clouds finally returning, piling up on the western horizon, creating an early sunset.

I'd left my jacket in the car, and a sudden shiver made me cross my arms tightly across my chest. A single van passed me and then the road was empty. I thought about casting a warming spell over me so I looked over my shoulder to make sure, that I was alone. I saw, with a shock, that two men were walking quietly twenty feet behind me.

They were from the same group I'd passed at the corner, though neither was the dark one who'd spoken to me. I turned my head forward at once, quickening my pace. I was quickly thinking about my possibilities if they attacked me. I had my wand, sure, but they were Muggles. I would probably be able to protect myself by casting a protective charm but I just couldn't do it in front of Muggles. It was against the law and I would get into trouble. And I didn't know how to do memory charms so using a wand was out of the question.

My purse was on a shoulder strap and I had it slung across my body, the way you were supposed to wear it so it wouldn't get snatched. I didn't have much money with me, just a twenty and some ones, and I thought about „accidentally" dropping my bag and walking away. But a small, frightened voice in the back of my mind warned me that they might be something worse than thieves.

I listened intently to their quiet footsteps, which were much too quiet when compared to the boisterous noise they'd been making earlier, and it didn't sound like they were speeding up, or getting any closer to me. Breathe, I had to remind myself. You don't know they're following you. I continued to walk as quickly as I could without actually running, focusing on the right-hand turn that was only a few yards away from me now. I could hear them, staying as far back as they'd been before. I suddenly wished I knew how to apparate. It would have been so easy, all I would have to do would be turning around a corner and then I would disappear.

A blue car turned onto the street from the south and drove quickly past me. I thought of jumping out in front of it, but I hesitated, inhibited, unsure that I was really being pursued, and then it was too late.

I reached the corner, but a swift glance revealed that it was only a blind drive to the back of another building. I was half-turned in anticipation I had to hurriedly correct and dash across the narrow drive, back to the pavement. The street ended at the next corner, where there was a stop sign. I concentrated on the faint footsteps behind me, deciding whether or not to run. They sounded farther back and I knew they could outrun me in any case. I was sure to trip and go sprawling if I tried to go any faster. The footfalls were definitely farther back. I risked a quick glance over my shoulder, and they were maybe forty feet back now, I saw with relief. But they were both staring at me.

It seemed to take forever for me to get to the corner. I kept my pace steady, the men behind falling ever so slightly farther behind with every step. Maybe they realised they had scared me and were sorry. I saw two cars going north pass the intersection I was heading for, and I exhaled in relief. There would be more people around once I got off this deserted street. I skipped around the corner with a grateful sigh.

And skidded to a stop.

The street was lined on both sides by blank, doorless, windowless walls. I could see in the distance, two intersections down, streetlamps, cars, and more pedestrians, but they were all too far away. Because lounging against the western building, midway down the street, were the other two men from the group, both watching with excited smiles as I froze dead on the pavement. I realised then that I wasn't being followed.

I was being herded.

I paused for only a second, but it felt like a very long time. I turned then and darted to the other side of the road. I had a sinking feeling that it was a wasted attempt. The footsteps behind me were louder now. I thought about using my wand again. This was getting serious and I had to defend myself somehow.

"There you are!" The booming voice of the stocky, dark-haired man shattered the intense quiet and made me jump. In the gathering darkness, it seemed like he was looking past me.

"Yeah," a voice called loudly from behind me, making me jump again as I tried to hurry down the street. "We just took a little detour."

My steps had to slow now. I was closing the distance between myself and the lounging pair too quickly. I reached into my pocket and squeezed my wand. I was thinking about the spells I could use. I could confound them. I'd learned the theory of the Confundus charm just a few nights ago and if I managed to use it on at least one of them without the others noticing, then he might persuade them that I wasn't worth it and they might let me go. The problem was that I'd never used this spell and it was supposed to be quite hard. If I did it wrong, it could have some serious consequences. Of course I could stun them but there were four of them and I would be able to stun only one or two before the others freaked out. But maybe it wasn't that bad idea, I thought. It would give me time to escape and even if they blabbed it out to someone, no one would probably believe them anyway.

The thickset man shrugged away from the wall as I warily came to a stop, and walked slowly into the street.

"Stay away from me," I warned in a voice that was supposed to sound strong and fearless but my throat was dry so I sounded croaky like someone was strangling me.

"Don't be like that, sugar," he called, and the raucous laughter started again behind me.

As he walked slowly towards me, I started pulling my wand out of my pocket. I was ready to stun him as soon as he touched me.

But before I had the chance to do anything, headlights suddenly flew around the corner, the car almost hitting the stocky one, forcing him to jump back toward the pavement. I dove into the road – _this_ car was going to stop or have to hit me. But the silver car unexpectedly fishtailed around, skidding to a stop with the passenger door open just a few feet from me.

"Get in," a furious voice commanded.


	8. Dinner

**A/N: Hi, chapter 8 is here! Again, this one follows the original book very closely but I promise the next one is going to be better. And again, all rights belong to S. Meyer and J.K Rowling.**

 **And, as usual, thank you for reading and reviewing!**

 **EDIT: 08/15/2018 Minor editing made.**

 **Chapter eight**

It was amazing how quickly the fear vanished, amazing how suddenly the feeling of security washed over me – even before I was off the street – as soon as I heard his voice. I stuck the half-pulled out wand back into my pocket and then jumped into the seat, slamming the door shut behind me.

It was dark in the car, no light had come on with the opening of the door, and I could barely see his face in the glow from the dashboard. The tires squealed as he spun around to face north, accelerating too quickly, swerving toward the shocked men on the street. I caught a glimpse of them diving for the pavement as we straightened out and sped toward the harbor.

"Put on your seat belt," Edward commanded, and I realised I was clutching the seat with both hands. I quickly obeyed; the snap as the belt connected was loud in the darkness. He took a sharp left, racing forward, blowing through several stop signs without a pause.

But I felt utterly safe and, for the moment, unconcerned about where we were going. I stared at his face in profound relief, relief that went beyond my sudden deliverance. I was glad I hadn't had to use magic even though I was slightly disappointed that they'd gotten away with it so easily. It would have been very satisfying if I had managed to stun at least one of them. I studied his face in the limited light, waiting for my breath to return to normal, until it occured to me that his expression was murderously angry.

"Are you okay?" I asked, surprised at how hoarse my voice sounded.

"No," he said curtly and his tone was livid.

I sat in silence, watching his face while his blazing eyes stared straight ahead, until the car came to a sudden stop. I glanced around, but it was too dark to see anything beside the vague outline of dark trees crowding the roadside. We weren't in town anymore.

"Bella?" he asked, his voice tight, controlled.

"Yes?" My voice was still rough. I tried to clear my throat quietly.

"Are you all right?" He still didn't look at me, but the fury was plain on his face.

"Yes," I croaked softly.

"Distract me, please," he ordered.

"I'm sorry, what?"

He exhaled sharply.

"Just prattle about something unimportant until I calm down," he clarified, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger.

"Um," my brain felt suddenly empty so I blurted out the first thing that came to my mind without thinking. "What if we turned around, found those scumbags and I turned them into cockroaches? Or something else like flobberworms. They are pretty boring creatures so maybe that would be good for them." I started liking the idea so I went on, "You know, they wouldn't have the chance to hurt other people because all they would do would be laying on the ground and eating lettuce. If they were lucky, their mucus would be used in potions. But imagine drinking a potion with something from them." I made a face, disgusted by the thought.

When I turned back to Edward, I saw that he looked utterly confused.

"What on earth is a flobberworm?"

I didn't answer but smiled slightly, glad that it worked.

"Never mind. Better?"

"Not really," he said, but I knew a part of his brain was still wondering what I'd been talking about.

I waited, but he didn't speak again. He leaned his head back against the seat, staring at the ceiling of the car. His face was rigid.

"What's wrong?" My voice came out in a whisper.

"Sometimes I have a problem with my temper, Bella." He was whispering too and as he stared out the window, his eyes narrowed into slits. "But it _wouldn't_ be helpful for me to turn around and hunt down those…" He didn't finish his sentence, looking away, struggling for a moment to control his anger again. "At least," he continued, "that's what I'm trying to convince myself."

"Oh." It wasn't the best reaction but I didn't care. We were clearly thinking about the same thing: how to pay back those bastards. Only his way seemed a bit more effective. I shuddered as I imagined what would happen to them if Edward decided to actually do it.

We sat in silence again. I glanced at the clock on the dashboard. It was past six-thirty.

"Jessica and Angela will be worried," I murmured. "I was supposed to meet them."

He started the engine without another word, turning around smoothly and speeding back toward town. Slowly I was beginning to wonder how he had found me. How had he known where I was? Well, he could have read the minds of the men, for sure, but how had he known that I was in Port Angeles in the first place? I frowned slightly. Did he follow me? Or was it only a coincidence?

Before I could think any further I noticed he'd already parked in front of the restaurant. I hadn't even told him where I was supposed to meet the girls.

Jess and Angela were just leaving, pacing anxiously away from us.

"How did you know where…?" I began, but then I just shook my head. I heard the door open and turned to see him getting out.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"I'm taking you to dinner." He smiled slightly, but his eyes were hard. He stepped out of the car and slammed the door. Great, I thought. Since I knew I couldn't ignore him anymore, I sighed and got out of the car as well. He was waiting for me on the pavement.

He spoke before I could. „Go stop Jessica and Angela before I have to track them down, too. I don't think I could restrain myself if I ran into your other friends again."

I shivered at the thread in his voice.

"Jess! Angela!" I yelled after them, waving when they turned. They rushed back to me, the pronounced relief on both their faces simultaneously changing to surprise as they saw who I was standing next to. They hesitated a few feet from us.

"Where have you been?" Jessica's voice was suspicious. Angela's expression surprised me, though. She was staring at me and Edward, her mouth slightly open, eyes wide in shock.

"I got lost," I admitted sheepishly, after I tore my eyes off Angela's face. "And then I ran into Edward." I gestured toward him.

"Would it be all right if I joined you?" he asked, looking directly into Jessica's eyes, for some reason avoiding looking at Angela.

"Er… sure," Jessica stammered.

"Um, actually, Bella, we already ate while we were waiting – sorry," Angela confessed, her expression composed now, though her eyes were wary.

"That's fine – I'm not hungry." I shrugged.

"I think you should eat something." Edward's voice was low, but full of authority. He looked up at Jessica and spoke slightly louder. "Do you mind if I drive Bella home tonight? That way you won't have to wait while she eats."

I could see that Angela wanted to protest, but Jessica spoke before she had the chance to say anything.

"Uh, no problem, I guess…" She bit her lip, trying to figure out from my expression whether that was what I wanted. Although I wasn't a hundred percent sure myself that it would be the best idea, I winked at her to show that it was okay.

Angela hesitated but Jessica said goodbye and with a last curious look at me pulled her toward her car. I waved at them, waiting for them to drive away before I turned back to him.

"What was wrong with Angela?" I said quietly, mostly to myself, though aware that he could hear me.

He just shrugged and walked to the door of the restaurant and held it open for me. I walked past him, shaking my head, still thinking about Angela's mysterious behaviour. Was it possible that she suspected Edward wasn't normal? But how could she possibly know? The Cullens kept to themselves at school, they rarely had any contact with other people, I'd noticed.

The restaurant wasn't crowded. The host was female, and I understood the look in her eyes as she assessed Edward. She welcomed him a little more warmly than necessary. She was several inches taller than I was, and unnaturally blond. I was surprised by how much that bothered me. I wanted to turn her into a toad or something. I frowned.

"A table for two?" His voice was alluring, whether he was aiming for that or not. I saw her eyes flicker to me and then away, satisfied by my obvious ordinariness, and by the cautious, no-contact space Edward kept between us. She led us to a table big enough for four in the center of the most crowded area of the dining floor.

I was about to sit, but Edward shook his head at me.

"Perhaps something more private?" he insisted quietly to the host. I wasn't sure, but it looked like he smoothly handed her a tip.

"Sure." She sounded surprised but she turned and led us around a partition to a small ring of booths – all of them empty. "How's this?"

"Perfect." He smiled at her, dazing her momentarily. It was funny how vampire's beauty affected humans. I thought the place was perfect too.

"Um…" The host shook her head, blinking. "Your server will be right out." She then walked away unsteadily.

"So," he started slowly after we sat down, "what is a flobberworm?"

I had to laugh.

"Something so incredibly boring that I'm not going to waste my time talking about it."

This answer didn't seem to satisfy his curiosity.

"Did you make it up to distract me?"

"No, they really exist. But there's not much more I could tell you about them than I already told you in the car." I shrugged, watching closely his reaction.

He was quiet for a while, looking at me thoughtfully. I waited for him to continue when our server arrived, her face expectant. The hostess had definitely dished behind the scenes and this new girl didn't look disappointed. She flipped a strand of short black hair behind one ear and smiled with unnecessary warmth.

"Hello. My name is Amber and I'll be your server tonight. What can I get you to drink?" I didn't miss that she was speaking only to him. I shook my head impatiently.

He looked at me.

"I'll have a Coke," I said though what I really wanted now was a bottle of Butterbeer.

He ordered two Cokes and after she left, he continued watching me.

"What?" I asked.

His eyes stayed fixed on my face. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," I replied, surprised by his intensity.

"You don't feel dizzy, sick, cold…?"

"Should I?" I was confused.

He chuckled at my puzzled tone.

"Well, I'm actually waiting for you to go into shock." His face twisted up into a perfect crooked smile.

"I'm not going into shock." I rolled my eyes. The four slimy bastards were hardly the most dangerous creatures in the world. He must have known that. He was a vampire.

"I'll still feel better when you have some sugar and food in you."

Right on cue, the waitress appeared with our drinks and a basket of breadsticks. She stood with her back to me as she placed them on the table.

"Are you ready to order?" she asked Edward.

"Bella?" he asked.

I ordered the first thing on the menu, which was mushroom ravioli and when Edward said he didn't want anything, she walked away.

"Drink," he ordered.

I sipped at my soda obediently and then drank more deeply, surprised by how thirsty I was. I realised I had finished the whole thing when he pushed his glass toward me.

"Thanks," I murmured, still thirsty. The cold from the icy soda was radiating through my chest and I shivered.

"Are you cold?"

"It's just the Coke," I explained, shivering again.

"Don't you have a jacket?" His voice was disapproving.

"Yes." I looked at the empty bench next to me. "Oh, I left it in Jessica's car," I realised.

He took off his jacket and handed it to me.

"Thanks," I said again, sliding my arms into his jacket. The sleeves were much too long; I shoved them back so I could free my hands.

"That color blue looks lovely with your skin," he said, watching me. I was surprised so I looked down, flushing. He'd never paid me a compliment before.

He pushed the bread basket toward me.

"I told you, I'm not going into shock," I protested.

"You should be – a normal person would be. You don't even look shaken." He seemed unsettled. He stared into my eyes, and I saw how light his eyes were, lighter than I'd ever seen them.

"I would have taken care of myself," I said, sounding more confident than I'd felt when facing the men on the street.

"How? By turning them into flobberworms?" His voice was full of sarcasm but his eyes were wary and curious at the same time.

"I was rather thinking about stunning them," I admitted, looking right into his eyes, which were confused.

When I didn't say anything else and started nibbling on the end of a breadstick, he exhaled impatiently. I decided changing the topic of conversation for now because I had a few questions for him too.

But then the waitress strode around the partition with my food. I realised we'd been unconsciously leaning toward each other across the table, because we both straightened up as she approached. She set the dish in front of me – it looked pretty good – and after Edward reassured her that he wouldn't eat she left.

"So," I said, picking up my fork, "I have a few questions."

"Well, go ahead." He sighed.

"Why are you in Port Angeles?" I really needed to know.

He looked down for a few seconds and then slowly shook his head.

"Next."

I frowned. I wasn't ready to give up.

"How did you find me?" I thought I knew the answer but I wanted to hear it from him.

He looked into my eyes with a torn expression.

"Next," he whispered, looking slightly ashamed.

My patience was wearing off. I put the fork down, leaned back and folded my arms across my chest.

"Okay, then." I glared at him and continued slowly. "For some time I've been suspecting that you can read minds. It sounds crazy but I've learned in my life, that nothing is impossible. I know that you can't read _my_ mind so tell me, how did you know where to find me? Did you, for some reason, follow me? Or was it just a coincidence that you were nearby when it happened, and when you saw minds of the men you hurried to save me?"

He stared at me with wide eyes. It took a whole minute before he finally spoke.

"How do you know?" Then I could see that something dawned on him because he closed his eyes and shortly shook his head.

"I'll tell you in the car. But now, please, answer my questions," I said quickly before he could start asking more questions.

"Yes, I can read minds of most people," he started explaining, his eyes avoiding me. "And yes, I followed you to Port Angeles." He paused, looking up at me sheepishly.

"Why?" I whispered, staring at him with wide eyes.

"Promise you won't be angry," he pleaded anxiously.

"Okay." I nodded warily.

"Then eat, I'll talk," he said, suddenly stern, pointing at my still almost full plate.

I quickly picked up my fork again and showed a ravioli into my mouth. The corners of his mouth twitched slightly and then he started speaking.

"Since the day of the accident I became very anxious that something might happen to you again. You look very vulnerable and I started to feel very protective about you. And it was obvious that you had a secret you didn't want me or anyone else to know about and it didn't help that I couldn't read your mind. I had a theory about it, but I wasn't sure and I couldn't ask you because there were other people around."

I stopped eating, staring at him. Maybe I wouldn't have to tell him anything if he already guessed it himself. He went on.

"I could have waited for you after school or something but I didn't want you to think that I'm too obtrusive. Then you stopped talking to me and it was driving me crazy. I tried to convince myself that I should ignore you too but it just didn't work. Then we had to leave for the weekend because of the sun…" he paused, watching my face. I'd resumed my eating and when I didn't show any reaction, he went on.

"I hated not seeing you for so long so when we got back from our… trip," he said the last word carefuly, "I went to your house. I stayed outside in the woods, watching your window," he added quickly after seeing my alarmed expression.

"We couldn't go to school on Monday and today, so I kept my distance, still following you." His voice was getting more and more quiet, so I had to lean closer to hear him. I tried not to think what his words really meant.

"Then I heard that you were going to Port Angeles and I just followed you. I couldn't get out of the car because of the sun so I listened to Jessica's mind. But I wasn't listening properly and I didn't notice when you took off on your own. Then, when I realized that you weren't with her anymore, I went looking for you at the bookstore I saw in her head. I could tell that you hadn't gone in and that you'd gone south… and I knew you would have to turn around soon. So I was just waiting for you, randomly searching through the thoughts of people on the street – to see if anyone had noticed you so I would know where you were. I had no reason to be worried… but again, I was strangely anxious…" He was lost in thoughts, staring past me.

"I started to drive in circles, still… listening. The sun was finally setting and I was about to get out and follow you on foot. And then I heard them." He growled the last few words and he looked as furious as in the car before. I shivered. I could imagine what exactly he'd heard but I tried not to think about it.

"It was very hard – you can't imagine how hard – for me to simply take you away and leave them… alive. I could have let you go with Jessica and Angela but I was afraid if you left me alone, I would go looking for them," he admitted in a whisper.

I sat there, leaning against the back of the seat, the unfinished meal laid in front of me. I didn't know what to say to calm him down. He looked very upset, his eyes staring at the table in front of him. I leaned closer and slowly stretched my hand to touch his cold arm.

"Thank you for saving my life. It's twice now," I whispered.

He looked up at me and smiled slightly, though the smile didn't touch his eyes.

"So, what is your theory about my secret?" I asked slowly, desperate to distract him from his angry thoughts.

He looked around and sighed.

"I'll tell you in the car," he said and waved to call the waitress.


	9. Confession

**EDIT: 08/15/2018 Minor editing made.**

 **Chapter nine**

Inside the car Edward started the engine and turned the heater on high. It had gotten very cold and I guessed the good weather was at an end. He pulled out through the traffic, apparently without a glance, flipping around to head toward the freeway.

"So," I said, when he didn't speak, "what's your theory?"

He sighed and his eyes narrowed, apparently thinking where to start. I waited, trying to be patient. After a minute he finally spoke, keeping his eyes firmly on the road.

"What do you know about my family, Bella?" he asked, surprising me.

"What? I thought you were going to answer my question," I protested.

"Answer me first, please."

"Well, I heard you moved here from Alaska two years ago and that Doctor Cullen adopted you and your siblings," I said quickly.

"But you know more, don't you?" he insisted, now looking at me.

"Yes."

"What do you know?" His voice was calm but I had the feeling that he was very nervous.

"I know what you are," I admitted in whisper and lowered my eyes. "I've known since the first day."

We were both quiet, staring ahead. He was driving very fast but I felt strangely safe.

"And still, you're here," he said after a while, sounding frustrated.

"Yes, because I figured that you can't be bad when you keep saving my life," I said, impatient again. "I'm still waiting for you theory."

"You're not afraid of me," he said incredulously, ignoring my impatience. "Why? I'm a monster."

"If all monsters were like you, this world would be a very happy place." I rolled my eyes.

"What makes you say that?" he was confused.

I laughed shortly but without humor, shaking my head. Maybe one day I would tell him about real monsters but I still wasn't ready and he still avoided answering my question.

"Your theory?" I urged him to finally tell me.

"I'm getting to it but you keep distracting me." He sighed but then went on. "Carlisle, our leader and father in so many ways, has been here for a very long time. He was born in London at the time when people believed in many things. One of them was the existence of magical people."

He fell quiet, glancing at me. I didn't say anything, thinking how old Carlisle could be.

"After he was changed he went to Italy and lived for a while with a family of our kind called the Volturi. They are something like a royalty to us."

"I know what they are," I whispered, remembering a picture of the three vampires that the fake professor Moody had showed us in Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson in my third year. Edward looked at me but didn't comment on my knowledge.

"There he learned that the magical people, and actually many other supernatural beings, are real. But according to a new magical law he wasn't allowed to tell anyone."

"But he was thinking about it," I said, still whispering.

"Well, he'd managed to keep it from me for a very long time. Even when we met people whose mind I couldn't read, he somehow didn't think about it." I could hear astonishment in his voice.

"So how did you find out?"

"I told him about not being able to hear your thoughts and asked if he had any idea why. His mind slipped. He forbid me to tell anyone, saying that there could be some other reason for your quiet mind. It didn't make sense to him that you'd started our high school. Magical people keep to themselves, like us."

"Says a vampire who goes to a high school," I reminded him with a grin.

"Well, I admit we are a bit unusual." He smiled at me.

"Yeah, you're right," I agreed. My mood was suddenly a lot lighter. "But tell me, what made you believe that there wasn't another reason?" My guess was that he had read Charlie's mind.

"Alice." That was all he said.

"Your sister? What does she know?"

"By now I'm pretty sure she knows everything." He was being cryptic and it annoyed me.

"What do you mean? You promised Carlisle you wouldn't -"

"I didn't tell her anything." He laughed. "You know, she has a special abillity, like me."

"She can read minds too?" I guessed.

"No. She can predict future."

I immediately thought of professor Trelawney, our eccentric Divination teacher at Hogwarts, and grimaced.

"So she looked into a crystal ball and saw me as a witch?" I scoffed.

He rolled his eyes, looking amused.

"No. Her predictions are based on someone's decision," he explained. "So when you decided to tell me, she saw it. Of course, there is a slight chance that she is preoccupied with looking into someone else's future but I wouldn't count on it. I've been the hot topic in our family the last few weeks." He rolled his eyes again, sounding slightly annoyed.

I didn't understand his last remark and I frowned, confused.

"Anyway, she's had visions that didn't make sense to her," he said quickly after seeing my expression. "She saw you in a hall that looked a lot like it was in a castle or some old stone building. You were waving a wooden stick, hitting someone or something - it was blurred - with some sort of light coming out of the stick." He stared in front of him, clearly repeating the vision in his head.

I knew exactly what the vision was about. She'd seen me fighting at Hogwarts. But of course, I'd decided to go back and fight long ago. Even though I didn't know for sure there would be a battle at Hogwarts, it was possible that it would take place somewhere else, like at the Ministry or some place I'd never been. I just always imagined Hogwarts to be the place for the battle. If there ever was a battle in the first place.

"But I still wasn't sure," he continued, bringing me back to the present. "She could have seen just some kind of a game you would be playing. I only became really suspicious after tonight's events, when I saw you put the stick into your pocket, when you were getting into my car. And then you talked about turning them into flobberworms…" He winked at me.

I frowned. I didn't know he'd noticed my wand. And even after the flobberworm speech a small part of my brain had hoped that he would take it only as my attempt to distract him.

"So, am I right?" he asked.

"I'm confused," I admitted, still avoiding a direct answer. "Charlie - I mean my Dad – knows my secret. I thought you would find out by reading his thoughts."

"Um… his mind is not so easy to read either," he said, surprising me again.

"You can't read Charlie's mind?" That was a news to me. Charlie was a muggle. As far as I knew only the minds of witches and wizards were protected from the vampires' Gifts that affected human's mind.

"Well, it's a bit complicated. His mind is not as quiet as yours but I can only hear his feelings," he explained. "Like when you had the accident, I could only hear his fear, anxiety and panic. Not the exact words."

"Maybe his thoughts weren't coherent then because he was panicking?" I suggested.

"I thought so at first. But even after he calmed down I couldn't hear any words from him," he said. "It's not just Charlie, though," he added hesitantly.

"Who else?"

"Angela Weber. It's exactly the same as with Charlie."

I stared at him, trying to figure out what that could mean. _Charlie is my father and I am a witch,_ I thought. _Is it possible that his mind is partly protected, too? Not completely, like mine, but that there is still some magic in him that prevented Edward from reading his exact thoughts? But that would mean that Angela has some wizarding relatives. Or are both their minds just quiet and all of this is just a coincidence?_

"Bella?" Edward's voice interrupted my thoughts. "What are you thinking about?" He sounded frustrated.

"What do you know about Angela?" I asked when I remembered her shocked expression earlier this evening. "Have you ever met her family?"

"Well, no. I know that her father is a priest but we don't go to a church so I've never really met him. And about her mother, I was only able to find out that she works as a doctor but not in Forks." He paused, his face curious. "Why?"

"What exactly was she feeling when she saw you with me?" This was important. "Does she know what you are?"

Edward frowned, glancing at me uncertainly.

"She was surprised," he said slowly, "and worried about you. She doesn't trust me… I'm not sure she knows, though she's always been avoiding us more than other people."

I turned my head to look out the window and realised that we had already crossed the boundaries of Forks. I didn't like that my time with him had passed so quickly, I still had a lot of questions and I was sure he had some for me, too.

"You still didn't really answer my question," Edward pointed out. He pulled over in front of Charlie's house. I sighed. I couldn't avoid it any longer and I didn't even want to.

"You guessed right," I mumbled, reaching for the door. I suddenly realised that I didn't want to go. I felt his eyes on me and turned back to him.

"I have to go," I said unwillingly, taking off the jacket and handing it back to him.

He just nodded and took the jacket, still watching my face. I suddenly couldn't tear my eyes off him. It took me a whole minute before I pulled myself together and finally opened the door. Then I turned back to him, remembering something.

"Will I see you tomorrow at school?"

"The good weather is over." He smiled. "And I still have a few questions for you."

I smiled back and finally stepped out of the car.

"See you tomorrow then," I said and forced myself to walk to the house. He waited till I was at the front door and then I heard his engine quietly rev. I turned to watch the silver car disappear around the corner. I realised it was very cold and quickly went inside.

Charlie called from the living room. "Bella?"

"Yeah, Dad, it's me." I walked in to see him. He was watching a baseball game.

"You're home early."

"Am I?" I was surprised.

"It's not even eight yet," he told me. "Did you girls have fun?"

"Yeah – it was lots of fun." I tried to remember all the way back to the girls' night out I had planned. "I even bought jeans."

"Are you all right?" he asked, looking at me properly.

"I'm just tired. I did a lot of walking."

"Well, maybe you should go lie down." He sounded concerned. I wondered what my face looked like.

"I'm just going to call Jessica first."

"Weren't you just with her?" he asked, surprised.

"Yes – but I left my shoppings and jacket in her car. I want to make sure she brings it tomorrow."

"Well, give her a chance to get home first."

"Right," I agreed.

I went to the kitchen and fell, exhausted, into a chair. My head was full of questions, mostly about what Edward had said about Angela. I sat there for ten minutes and then walked to the phone to call Jess. She answered the phone after three rings.

"Jessica Stanley."

"Hi Jess, it's Bella."

"Bella? You made it home?" She sounded surprised.

"Yes. Listen, I left my bag and jacket in your car – could you bring it to me tomorrow?"

"Sure. But tell me what happened!" she demanded.

I rolled my eyes. "Tomorrow."

She caught on quickly. "Oh, is your dad there?"

"Yes."

"Okay, I'll talk to you tomorrow, then. Bye!" I could hear the impatience in her voice.

"Bye, Jess."

Half an hour later I was in my bed trying to make sense of everything I'd discovered tonight. Edward now knew that I was a witch and I didn't know what he thought about it. But he didn't look like he wanted to avoid me and that was a relief. And he'd promised to be at school tomorrow. I couldn't wait to see him again. I sighed and shifted the image of him aside in my mind, trying to focuse on another problem.

I knew I would have to find out what Angela knew about the Cullens and, more importantly, if she knew about the existence of the wizarding world. And I had absolutely no idea how to do it.


	10. Invitation

**A/N: Hello! This chapter is mostly a filler because I somehow needed to get to a point in the story. I hope that in a few chapters things start to get more interesting. Enjoy.**

 **And thank you all for reading!**

 **EDIT: 08/15/2018 Minor editing made.**

 **Chapter ten**

When I woke up in the morning, I lay for a while with my eyes closed, trying to decide whether what had happened last night was a dream or reality. Finally I decided it was all real, mostly because I wanted it to be, and then slowly got up.

I was surprised to find my owl, Agnes, perched on a branch outside of the window. When she saw I was up, she hooted angrily. I offered her a few owl treats I knew she liked but she turned her back on me and flew off. I stared after her, wondering what I could have possibly done to offend her, but I soon forgot about it and went to the bathroom to get dressed.

After breakfast, which I ate alone because Charlie had left early again, I put on a thick jumper, hoping that Jessica wouldn't forget to bring me my jacket. I briefly thought about using a warming spell but I realised it would look suspicious if I arrived in school in just a t-shirt.

It was unusually foggy; the air was almost smoky with it. The mist was ice cold where it clung to the exposed skin on my face and neck. I couldn't wait to get the heat going in my truck. It was such a thick fog that I was a few feet down the driveway before I realised there was a car in it. A silver car.

I didn't see where he came from, but suddenly Edward was there, pulling the door open for me.

"Do you want to ride with me today?" he asked, amused. I stopped before I could walk right into him and blinked in surprise.

"Um… yes. Thank you." I smiled at him and got in the car. I noticed that his tan jacket was slung over the headrest of the passenger seat. The door closed behind me, and, sooner that should be possible, he was sitting next to me, starting the car.

"I brought the jacket for you. I didn't want you to get sick or something." His voice was guarded.

"I'm not quite that delicate," I said, but I pulled the jacket onto my lap, pushing my arms through the too-long sleeves.

"Aren't you?" he contradicted in a voice so low I wasn't sure if he meant for me to hear.

We drove in silence through the fog-shrouded streets.

"So," I started, desperate to break the silence, "where are your siblings? Don't they usually ride with you?"

"They took Rosalie's car." He shrugged, his face indiffferent.

"Did you tell them? I mean, about what I am," I asked, looking at him anxiously.

"No," he said. "Only Carlisle and Alice know. And I forbid them to tell anyone. I guessed you wouldn't want them to know." He smiled.

"Thank you." I smiled back at him, relieved.

"I still have a lot of questions," he informed me as we drove into the school parking lot.

"Of course you do." I sighed. "But you have to wait until we are alone. It's dangerous talking about it with most of your vampire family around."

"True," he chuckled as he parked next to a glossy red convertible with the top up. "But let's not wait too long. I'm not exactly a patient man."

I rolled my eyes at him and got out of the car.

"Is that Rosalie's car?" I asked, pointing at the red convertible. He just nodded with a smirk on his face.

"Why does she ride with you when she has this?"

"We try to blend in." He shrugged, waiting for me at the front of the car.

"You don't succeed." I laughed, joining him. As we walked onto campus I noticed him staying very close to my side. I wanted to close that little distance, to reach out and touch him, but I was afraid he wouldn't like me to.

Under the shelter of the cafeteria roof's overhang, Jessica was waiting, her eyes about to bug out of their sockets. Over her arm, bless her, was my jacket, in her other hand she held my shoppings.

"Hey, Jessica," I said when we were a few feet away. "Thanks for remembering." She handed me my things without speaking.

"Good morning, Jessica," Edward said politely.

"Er… hi." She shifted her wide eyes to me, trying to gather her jumbled thoughts. "I guess I'll see you in Math." She gave me a meaningful look, and I suppressed a sigh. What on earth was I going to tell her?

"Yeah, I'll see you then."

"What are you going to tell her?" asked Edward, voicing my thoughts.

"No idea." I shrugged. I took off his jacket and handed it back to him, replacing it with my own. "What does she want to know?"

"I'll tell you but I have one condition," he said with an innocent smile.

"What condition?" I asked warily.

"If you go out with me this Saturday."

I stared at him. Was he actually asking me out?

"I'd like to take you to a place I like," he went on, suddenly looking serious. "It will be far from anyone's ears."

I knew why he looked so serious. I would be alone with him and it could be very dangerous. But I was a witch so if I was quick enough, I should be able to defend myself with a simple shield charm.

"Okay," I whispered, blushing.

He smiled but his face went immediately serious again.

"It can be dangerous, Bella," he warned.

"I know." I nodded, trying not to think about it. "So what does Jessica want to know?"

He sighed, shaking his head.

"She wants to know if we're secretly dating and how you feel about me."

I groaned.

"Great. What should I tell her?"

"It's up to you." He shrugged with a wicked grin on his face. "But I'll be listening to hear the answer." He stretched his right hand to my face to catch a stray lock of hair that was escaping the twist on my neck and wound it back into place. I held my breath and felt my heart pounding wildly, my cheeks turning red. Then he winked at me and slowly walked away.

I scowled after him for a few seconds and then, with a sigh, shuffled into class. I spent English and History dreading Math. Though I quite liked Jessica, she wasn't the person I wanted to talk to about my relationships. She seemed to like gossip and she would certainly tell the whole school as soon as possible. And there was another problem as well. _What_ was I supposed to tell her anyway? I didn't know what exactly was between me and Edward, and the fact that he would be listening didn't help either.

When I walked into Math, Jessica was sitting in the back row, nearly bouncing off her seat in agitation. I reluctantly went to sit by her, trying to convince myself it would be better to get it over with as soon as possible.

"Tell me everything!" she commanded before I was in the seat.

"What do you want to know?" I hedged.

"What happened last night?"

"He bought me dinner and then he drove me home." I'd decided to be as short as possible.

"Was it like a date – did you tell him to meet you there?"

"No, we met by chance. I was surprised to see him there."

Her lips puckered in disappointment at the transparent honesty in my voice.

"But he picked you up for school today?" she probed.

"Yes, that was a surprise too. He noticed I didn't have a jacket last night," I explained.

"So, are you going out again?"

"Well," I said slowly, not liking that I was talking about it with Jessica, of all people, "he asked me to go out with him Saturday."

"Are you dating, then?"

"Um." I hesitated. "I don't think so. I think we're just friends."

Jessica shook her head disapprovingly but she wasn't ready to give up.

"But you like him." It wasn't a question.

"I think so," I whispered with my eyes on the teacher.

"How much you like him?" She was unbelievable.

Fortunatelly I was saved by Mr. Verner, who called on Jessica for an answer.

When the bell rang, I quickly grabbed my things and then said I had to go to the bathroom and hurried out of the classroom before Jessica could say anything. I _did_ go to the bathroom where I locked myself in one of the cubicles. I leaned back against the wall and closed my eyes. I thought of Ginny and really wished she could be here. She was the one person who I could talk to about anything. And she actually cared about me, unlike Jessica, who only wanted fresh gossip. I could feel a tear running down my cheek and wiped it away with my sleeve. _Pull yourself together!_ I ordered myself and then, taking a deep breath, walked out of the cubicle. I washed my face and headed for my next class, which was Art.

When it was time for lunch, I hurried out of the door feeling quite hungry. But outside the classroom, leaning against the wall, Edward was waiting for me. I stopped right in front of him and looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"Hello," he said with a smile. "Do you want to join me for lunch?"

"Yes." I smiled back and let him lead the way to cafeteria.

Walking with Edward through the crowded lunchtime rush was a lot like my first day here; everyone stared. I didn't like the attention so I kept my eyes on the floor. He bought me lunch and then led the way to an empty table in the corner of the room. I could see Angela, sitting with the rest of our usual group, staring at me disapprovingly. I still had no idea how to find out what she knew.

I shifted this problem aside in my head and focused on Edward, who just sat down and moved the tray toward me. I sat too and took a slice of pizza from the tray.

"So," I started casually, chewing the pizza, "why are you not sitting with your siblings?"

"You're more interesting." He grinned, his eyes never leaving my face. "You have no idea how boring it had been here before you turned up."

"Why do you do it then? I mean, why do you go to a high school when it's so boring? You must know all the stuff."

"Well, what else is here to do?" He shrugged. "And like I said, we try to blend in. It would look suspicious if we stayed at home all the time. I suppose it's the same for you, isn't it?"

I threw him a warning look and turned my head to look at his siblings. Emmett and Jasper were staring out of the window, seemingly not caring about anything. Rosalie was sitting with her back to me but I noticed her posture stiffened. Alice, on the other hand, was looking at me with a brilliant smile.

I turned back to Edward just in time to see his eyes refocus on me. He had been watching his family too. His face was unreadable. I decided that it really didn't matter to me if his family knew that I knew what they are. I even thought about telling them about me one day, if I would have to get to know them better. It seemed very likely now, when I was about to spend more time with their brother.

"I'm disappointed, you know," he said, interrupting my thoughts. When I looked up at him, confused, he went on, "You didn't tell Jessica anything interesting. She was pretty disappointed, too."

"Good." I smiled happily at him.

"Of course, she already told half the school that we're going on a date on Saturday." He looked smug.

"That's _not_ good," I murmured, scowling.

"It was only to be expected, wasn't it?" He shrugged. It apparently didn't bother him at all.

I continued scowling, thinking of a way to stop being the center of attention. I could feel many curious eyes on us.

"What's wrong?" Edward asked gently.

"Nothing, it's just… I hate this kind of attention, that's all," I admitted, lowering my eyes. It was strange that I always told him what I was thinking.

"It will pass. And you're lucky _you_ can't read their thoughts." He grimaced.

"How bad is it?"

"Well, Newton absolutely hates _me_." For some reason he looked pleased. "And others are just shocked, mostly."

"And jealous, I suppose," I pointed out the obvious.

He just shrugged like he didn't care.

"Don't you think it's a bit suspicious that you never eat anything?" I asked, changing the topic of our conversation and pointing at the empty part of the table in front of him.

"We told them we're on a special diet. But some of the people here still think we're just too arrogant to eat school food," he explained, smiling. "Of course it suits us perfectly."

"Why did you choose to live in Forks, anyway? Wouldn't it have been better to live in a less populated area? Like in Alaska, for example?"

"We did live in Alaska for a while," he admitted, "but there are others like us there and though we consider them our extended family, it just seemed better to move somewhere else after some time. And we also wanted to be more like humans than… well… you know."

I nodded, remembering reading about the other coven living in Alaska.

"You still stand out, you know."

"Yes, but we hoped people would lose interest in us after a while. Especially if we keep to ourselves."

He suddenly looked up and glared at something behind my back. I turned to see what was going on but what I saw was only the back of his sister, Rosalie. Though I noticed Emmett watching us with a surprised expression. Apparently, they'd just figured out from our conversation that I knew what they were.

I turned back to Edward, who was watching me again.

"They know that I know," I stated the obvious.

"Yes," he sighed.

"Are you in trouble?" I asked, a bit worried.

"I'll survive." He shrugged it off and glanced at his watch. "We should go to class."

I stood up from the table, noticing that the cafeteria was already half empty. Edward dumped the tray for me and we walked together to Biology.

It turned out that it was a "movie day". Mr. Banner dragged in an old TV with a DVD player and informed us that we would be watching a film about cellular anatomy. That didn't sound particularly interesting but it was still better than doing another lab.

When the room went dark and the TV came to life, I leaned back against the backrest and tried to concentrate on the film. I could feel Edward next to me doing the same. Suddenly I had a very strong urge to touch him. He was so close that our chairs almost touched. I pressed my lips together and folded my arms across my chest, stubbornly refusing to glance at him. I spent the rest of the hour in this position.

When the bell finally rang and the lights switched on again, I stretched my stiffened back and turned to Edward. He was watching me with a strange expression.

"What?" I asked but he just shook his head, stood up and then led the way out of the classroom.

"See you after Gym," he said with a smile. "Unless you prefer walking."

It was still foggy and raining outside and I didn't really fancy walking in it for about two miles, so I just nodded and headed for the Gym.

Mike wasn't his usual friendly self today. He didn't talk to me much, though he still was in my team. I tried not to ruin the game too much. I even managed to score a point.

After I changed my clothes, Mike came to me with a very unhappy face.

"So, you and Cullen, eh?" he said with an offensive tone.

I looked up at him with raised eyebrows.

"I don't like it. He's weird. And he looks at you like he wanted to… eat you."

I stared at him for a while before I finally managed to say anything.

"I appreciate your concern, Mike," I chose my words very carefully. "But it really is none of your business."

"But…" he started to protest but I put up my hand to stop him.

"Sorry, but I have to go."

I stormed off, quite pissed. Mike's words reminded me of something I wanted to ask Edward but was afraid of the answer. I still didn't undestand his mysterious behaviour on my first day here. I was wondering whether I really wanted to know the answer or not.

I half expected Edward to be waiting for me outside the gym but he wasn't there. When I turned around the corner into the parking lot I saw him standing opposite Rosalie. They didn't seemed to argue, at least not verbally, but were glaring at each other with really hostile expressions. I stopped about thirty feet from them, not sure if I should interrupt them. At that moment Rosalie turned her glare to me, then got in her car, where the rest of her siblings had been waiting, slammed the door and drove away without another glance toward me or Edward.

I hesitated but then slowly walked to Edward, who had turned to me and was now watching me approach. He smiled but his eyes were hard.

"What was that about?" I asked but he ignored my question and went to open the door of his Volvo for me. I threw him an impatient look but climbed in. I put my school bag and the bag with my new jeans down under my legs and put the seatbelt on. Before I was finished, he'd already started the car and was pulling away.

"Edward?" I reminded him of my presence, still waiting for the answer.

He sighed, glancing down at me.

"It was nothing," he murmured but it didn't sound convincing.

"She's not happy that I know," I guessed and by the look on his face I knew I was right.

"She thinks I put my family in danger," he admitted. "She likes it here and doesn't want to move away. I tried to tell her that our secret is safe with you but she didn't believe me. She can be pretty stubborn."

"Well, Alice would see if I decided to tell anyone, wouldn't she?"

"Yes, I told her to ask her but then you turned up and you saw the rest."

"I didn't see you talking." I frowned, confused.

"We can talk very fast, too fast for your human or even magical ears and eyes." He smiled at me and this time the smile touched his eyes.

"Show off," I murmured but I was glad that he seemed to be in better mood.

Again, my time with him passed too quickly and he was already pulling over in front of Charlie's house. Well, even fast cars had their drawbacks. I wasn't ready to go so I turned to him and took a deep breath.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Is there still something you already don't know?" He smirked.

"Since I never lived with vampires, there _might_ be a few things I still don't know." I paused, not sure how to ask.

"Alright, what is it?"

"Well, the day when we first met," I began, staring at my hands. "You seemed to hate me. Why?" I finally looked up at him. His expression was sad and I could see that he'd hoped I would never ask this question.

"It's complicated, Bella." He sighed. "I don't know how to explain without frightening you."

"I'm not that easily scared," I said, trying to encourage him.

"Fine. You know how everyone enjoys different flavors?" he began. "Some people love chocolate ice cream, others prefer strawberry?"

I nodded.

"You see, every person smells different, has a different essence. And you smell to me much better than anyone else. It's like I was a drug addict and you were the best brand of heroin." He smiled sheepishly at me but then his face went serious again. "For the whole hour I was fighting with the desire to kill you. It took all my will and effort not to do it."

I swallowed, tearing my eyes off him. I was slowly beginning to realise just how dangerous he was and how close I had been to death.

"I'm sorry." I could see from the corner of my eye that he moved his hand like he wanted to touch me but he changed his mind and placed it back into his lap.

"It's okay," I murmured, staring out of the window. "I thought it must have been something like that. But it's better now, isn't it? You look quite relaxed around me." I looked back at him. His face was emotionless.

"It's a little easier when I'm ready for it. And I become more immune the longer I stay around you," he agreed. "But I would understand if you canceled our Saturday trip." He looked sad again.

"I won't," I assured him. It never even crossed my mind.

He smiled slightly. He looked relieved but anxious at the same time.

"I won't hurt you, I promise." He sounded determined.

"I know you won't."

We sat there for a while in silence. The atmosphere changed and again I felt the strong urge to touch him. He gazed into my eyes now, not blinking. It wasn't until my head started to swim that I realised I wasn't breathing. When I drew a jagged breath, breaking the stillness, he closed his eyes.

"Bella, I think you should go inside now." His low voice was rough, his eyes on the clouds outside.

I just nodded wordlessly, grabbed my things and opened the door. The cold draft helped clear my head. I stepped out of the car and closed the door. Then I walked to the house without turning back.


	11. Preparations

**EDIT: 08/29/2018 Minor editing made.**

 **Chapter eleven**

The next day was very similar to the previous one. Edward picked me up in the morning, drove me to the school, waited for me after Art and went to sit with me at lunch. We agreed not to talk about me at school to avoid being overheard by his siblings or someone else, who could happen to be close to us. Edward didn't want to talk about his family and refused to tell me what they thought about me knowing their secret. I was curious but didn't want to push the subject too much so I let it go for the moment.

We talked about school subjects instead. Edward offered to help me with most of the subjects and said he'd like to tutor me. I was pleasantly surprised and immediately agreed. It meant more time with him and I knew I really needed some improvement, especially in Biology.

It was another "movie day" in Biology, since the film was almost two hours long. Again, I felt the mysterious urge to touch Edward as soon as the room went dark, and like yesterday, I spent the whole hour sitting with my arms folded across my chest, trying to concentrate on the film. It seemed to drag more than yesterday but finally the hour was over and I could turn to Edward who was smiling at me. Then he walked me to Gym and said he would be waiting in the car.

Mike still wasn't very friendly but at least he didn't try talking to me about Edward again.

After Gym Edward was waiting for me in his car, like he'd said. His siblings had already left in Rosalie's car.

"What are you going to tell Charlie about Saturday?" he asked suddenly, after I'd gotten in and put on my seatbelt, surprising me. I hadn't given this much thoughts, I realised with a shock. How could I forget about Charlie? I wanted to facepalm myself.

"I don't know," I admitted, embarrassed. "I somehow didn't think about it."

He frowned. I could see he wasn't happy with my answer.

"You should tell him the truth," he said firmly.

"You want me to tell him what you are?" My eyes were wide with shock.

"Well, no." He rolled his eyes impatiently. "I want you to tell him you will be with me."

"Oh." I looked away from him, thinking. What would Charlie say, if I told him I would be with Edward, even if I didn't say he was a vampire? Would he jump into the conclusion that I had a boyfriend? Probably. Would he have a problem with it? I didn't know. I was an adult after all, and he knew that. I thought he could expect something like that from me now. I sighed. Edward was right. I should tell him the truth, or at least something as close to it as possible.

"So?" I could hear the impatience in his voice, so I looked back at him.

"I think you're right," I agreed with another sigh.

"I usually am." He grinned at me.

* * *

I decided to put Charlie in good mood before I told him about my trip with Edward, so I made him his favourite chicken wings with fries for dinner. I found cooking a nice distraction and was surprised how easy it was for me. Charlie was pleasantly surprised when he came home and sniffed the air.

"Are we celebrating something?" He raised his eyebrows suspiciously, when I placed a bottle of beer and a plate full of the wings and fries in front of him.

"No. I just thought you might like it." I smiled, trying to look as innocent as possible.

He complimented my cooking and then we ate in silence for a while. I was pondering the best way to approach the subject. I cleared my throat nervously. Charlie looked up, curious.

"Dad? I was invited for a trip this Saturday…" I began, not sure what to say next.

"Who invited you? Jessica?"

"Well, no. Edward Cullen." I could feel my face getting red.

"Edward Cullen?" he repeated, taken aback. "I didn't know you were friends with the Cullens."

"Um, yes. I share the desk with Edward in Biology and after he saved me from the van, I've gotten to know him a little." I shrugged, trying to sound calm.

"Which one is Edward?" he asked after a minute of silence.

"The tall one with reddish brown hair."

"Who else is going on the trip?" He watched me carefully.

For a moment I thought about telling him that the whole family was going but I hated lying to Charlie.

"Just the two of us," I admitted sheepishly.

"Hm," he said thoughtfully. "So you're asking for my permission to go on a date?"

I gaped at him. Charlie looked amused by my expression but then his face turned serious.

"You're an adult, Bella. You spent the last five years in a school half the world apart from me. For all I know, you could have been dating several boys without me or your mother knowing about it…"

I opened my mouth to protest but he didn't let me.

"Let me finish. I'm glad you told me about it so I know who you are going to be with, but you don't have to ask my permission."

I didn't know what to say. I'd thought I would have to argue with him. But of course he was right. I'd spent the last five years basically on my own, supervised only by teachers of Hogwarts. Dating was very common among students. Ginny'd had several boyfriends before she started dating Harry Potter earlier this year.

"Okay," I finally said and smiled in relief. "Thanks, Dad."

"Of course, if things get serious between you two, I'd like to meet him."

"Sure." I lowered my eyes but smiled slightly.

* * *

Edward looked pleased when I told him about Charlie's reaction the next day at lunch. Then he announced that he wouldn't be waiting for me after Gym because he was going to leave early to go hunting with Alice.

"Why are you leaving early? You have all night to hunt." It didn't make much sense to me.

"Well, we're going a little farther into the park. I want to take as much precaution as possible."

"But still, it wouldn't take more than a few hours." I looked at him suspiciously.

"A couple of Jasper's old friends are visiting so I want to spend some time with them." He shrugged, avoiding my eyes.

"Old friends?" I frowned and glanced at Jasper, who was now talking animatedly with Alice.

"Of course that means I won't be able to drive you home," he pointed out, ignoring my question.

"I don't mind walking." I shrugged. It wasn't raining today so it would be quite a nice walk.

"I'm not going to let you walk." He rolled his eyes impatiently. "I'll have Alice drive your truck here."

I sighed, rummaging in my bag for my car keys. I handed them to Edward and at that moment I noticed Alice standing next to me. I hadn't heard her coming.

He greeted her without looking away from me. "Alice."

"Edward," she answered in a high voice.

"Alice, Bella – Bella, Alice," he introduced us, gesturing casually with his hand.

"Hello, Bella." Her dark eyes were excited and her smile friendly. "It's nice to finally meet you."

"Hi, Alice." I smiled back.

"Are you ready?" she asked Edward.

"Nearly. I'll meet you at the car," he told her with a short smile.

After that she left without another word. I stared after her for a while. I somehow couldn't imagine someone, who looked so small and fragile like Alice, hunting. I shook my head shortly, trying to clear it, and looked back at Edward, who was watching me intensely.

"What time will I see you tomorrow?" I asked.

"That depends… it's a Saturday, don't you want to sleep in?" he offered.

"Not really." I shrugged.

"The same time as usual, then," he decided.

* * *

I walked to Biology alone, not very excited. We had still about thirty minutes of the film left and Mr. Banner had said he would ask some questions about it afterwards. I scowled, mentally cursing Edward for not staying an hour longer.

I was in my seat, pulling my textbook out of my bag, when I felt someone standing next to my desk. I looked up and saw Angela. She looked nervous but determined.

"Hi, Angie." I smiled at her, straightening up.

She cleared her throat.

"Bella. I need to talk to you," she said quietly, looking around to be sure no one could overhear us.

"Yes?" I watched her warily. It looked like I was about to find out why she was being so strange the last few days.

"I heard you're going out with Edward Cullen," she said. Her voice was still low and her cheeks turned pink. It was clear she didn't like talking about these things.

"We're just friends," I said slowly.

"But you're going on a date tomorrow."

"What's going on, Angela?" I raised my eyebrows.

"I – I don't think you should spend time with the Cullens," she warned in whisper, a hint of urgency in her voice.

I stared at her, trying to think of what to tell her. I wanted to ask her what she knew but it was too dangerous. There were other people around us. I could see Mike watching us curiously.

"Why not?" I was whispering too.

"Because they… they're not what they seem to be." She sounded anxious now, her eyes pleading me to understand.

I did understand. She knew they were dangerous, that much was clear. But did she know just how dangerous?

But before I could say anything the bell rang and Mr. Banner arrived. Angela threw me a last pleading look and walked to her seat.

* * *

After Biology, Angela's neighbour needed her help with something so we didn't have another chance to talk. I wanted to know what she'd been trying to tell me but she left school with Jessica after Gym.

I found my truck parked in Edward's usual space, the key was in the ignition. When I started the truck, the roar frightened me. I was so used to the quiet ride in the Volvo.

I was driving slowly home, thinking about tomorrow. I was very nervous about the trip. I'd never really been on a date before, not counting the dinner with Edward in Port Angeles. I was wondering what it would mean for me to have any kind of relationship with a vampire. My kind usually avoided vampires, I never heard of any witch or wizard being romantically involved with them. I remembered reading about vampire love. They fell in love for life and it was usually very intense. Was that what happened to Edward? Was he in love with me? It seemed impossible. I wasn't that special. He was propably only interested in me because I was a witch and it was something new and exciting to him, I decided.

I was suddenly filled with sadness and disappointment but I was also angry at myself. I should have said no to the trip. But I knew it would be too late to cancel now and I didn't even have any excuse for doing it. Sure, I could fake an illness or something but I had the feeling that Edward would come to see me anyway and would see through it immediately.

When I got home, I got out of the truck, slamming the door more fiercely than usual. Charlie was still at work, it was too early for him, so I decided to do my homework first and then prepare dinner. I needed something to do to avoid thinking about tomorrow.

* * *

I woke up in the morning into what seemed to be the start of a beautiful day. The sky was clean and I could see sun shining through the treetops. That improved my mood a bit. I wondered if I would get to see Edward in the sun. We learned about vampires and the sun at Hogwarts but we all had thought that professor Lupin was joking when he told us about it. At least it looked like I would learn the truth today.

Charlie had already gone fishing so I ate breakfast alone like almost every day. At least we had dinners together, otherwise it would have looked like I was living alone. I didn't know where Edward was taking me so I packed some sandwiches and a bottle of water into a backpack so we wouldn't have to look for a grocery store or a restaurant.

It was exactly 7.30 when the doorbell rang. I cleaned the table with my wand and, grabbing the backpack, hurried to the door.

Edward stood there with his hands in his pockets and a thoughtful expression on his face. He smiled at the sight of me and I smiled back automatically. I immediately knew that even if he begged me to cancel the trip, I wouldn't do it.

"Good morning," he said quietly. His eyes slid down to my wand, which I was still holding in my hand.

"Hi," I murmured, sticking the wand hurriedly into my secret pocket in my jeans.

"Are you going to show me some magic?" he asked excitedly, reminding me of Charlie on the day of my birthday.

"Maybe." I smiled, trying to look mysterious.

I locked the door and we walked to his car in silence. I could see him glancing at the place where my wand had disappeared. My jeans looked perfectly smooth, like there was no pocket in it. I pressed my lips together, suppressing a smile, and got in the Volvo.

"So, where are we going?" I asked as soon as we pulled away.

"To a place where I like to go when the weather is nice." That certainly cleared it up.

"Is it far?"

"No. But we'll have to do a bit of hiking, if that's not a problem for you." He glanced at me uncertainly.

"No, but you'll have to be patient because I'm a very slow hiker," I admitted. It was true, I was slow because I was usually trying not to trip over roots and rocks when walking in woods.

"No problem, we have plenty of time," he assured me with the crooked smile I liked.


	12. The Meadow

**A/N: Hi, I'm sorry it's taken me longer to update but I'm afraid I won't have that much time in future. Also this chapter took me longer to write and I have no idea when the next chapter will be finished. I haven't even started writing it. I'll do what I can so it wouldn't take long.**

 **And again, thank you so much for reading and reviewing!**

 **Enjoy!**

 **EDIT: 08/29/2018 Minor editing made.**

 **Chapter twelve**

After about twenty minutes the road ended, constricting to a thin foot trail with a small wooden marker. Edward parked on the narrow shoulder and stepped out. I followed, slinging my backpack over my shoulder. I automatically started for the trail but Edward caught my arm.

"Where are you going?" he asked, amused, directing me into the unbroken forest on the other side.

I squinted into the thick forest before me but I couldn't see anything but dark trees. I was sure that muggle forests are pretty safe and Edward was with me so I had nothing to worry about except fallen trees and roots. I sighed and let him lead the way.

The way was mostly flat and he held the damp ferns and webs of moss aside for me. We mostly walked in silence so I had time to think about what I would tell him when we got there. Should I tell him about the danger I was in or just talk about my world in general? I didn't know if he was interested in me or just wanted to know more about magic. Maybe when I told him everything he would want to know, he would lose interest in me. The thought depressed me.

"Are you alright?" he said, noticing my expression.

I just nodded and continued walking. I heard his frustrated sigh but didn't look at him. I decided to tell him what he'd want to know and not to think about what would happen next.

"Are we there yet?" I asked after what seemed like at least five miles.

"Nearly." He smiled. "Do you see the brightness ahead?"

I peered ahead but could see nothing except more trees. "Um, should I?"

"Maybe it's a bit soon for _your_ eyes." He smirked.

"Time to visit the optometrist," I muttered. His smirk grew more pronounced.

But then, after another hundred yards, I could definitely see a lightening in the trees ahead, a glow that was yellow instead of green. I picked up the pace, my eageress growing with every step. He let me lead now, following noiselessly.

I reached the edge of the pool of light and stepped through the last fringe of ferns into one of the loveliest places I had ever seen. The meadow was small, perfectly round and filled with white wildflowers. Somewhere nearby, I could hear the bubbling music of a stream. The sun was directly overhead, filling the circle with a haze of buttery sunshine.

I took a few more steps but then I remembered what else I was about the see. I turned to Edward but he was still standing under the shadows of the trees.

"You know what happens when we walk into sun," he said, looking embarrassed.

"I heard but never seen it," I admitted. I wondered if I would manage not to laugh.

He took a deep breath and slowly stepped into the sun. The moment the sun touched his bare skin, it started to sparkle like thousands of diamonds. I took a few steps back to have a better view. I'd thought I would laugh but all I could do was stare at him with my mouth open.

He slowly walked past me into the middle of the meadow and sat down on the grass. Then he looked up and beckoned to me to join him. I took off my sweatshirt, folded it and placed it on the ground so I could sit on it. I sat down, resting my chin on my knees.

"I should have brought sunglasses. You're blinding me," I teased.

"Sorry. Remember it next time." He smiled, obviously relieved that I didn't laugh at him. The promise of a next time pleased me but I didn't want to get my hopes high.

"So you've never met another vampire?" he asked, curious.

"Well, I have. Once. He was an animal eater, like you. But I never really talked to him."

"There are more animal eating vampires?" He was surprised. "I thought it was just us and the Denali."

"There is at least one more then. I don't know why he feeds on animals but he wasn't as well-controlled as your family is. There had to be a wizard with him to keep an eye on him."

He was quiet then, lost in thoughts. I watched his face, trying not to think about anything.

"Why are you here, Bella? Why are you in Forks? Did you get tired of magic so you decided to live like norm – I mean other people?" he asked after a while. I smiled slightly at his correction of the word „normal", but then I rested my forehead on my knees, closing my eyes. I'd hoped this question would come up much later.

"Bella?" He sounded alarmed.

"I had to leave," I whispered, my face still covered in my knees. "Britain is not safe for me anymore."

"Why?" he said softly, gently touching my arm.

I shivered slightly at his touch but it had nothing to do with the coldness. I lifted my head but didn't look at him. When I spoke, I stared at the trees in front of me instead.

"There is a certain wizard – a dark wizard – who is after people like me. People who were born to non-magical parents. He values pureblood wizards above all and considers us thieves of magic. Two months ago he and his followers took over the Ministry of Magic and I had to leave immediately, otherwise I would have been arrested." There was no need to tell him that I would have been probably killed.

I slowly turned my head to look at him. He was staring at me in disbelief, probably trying to find any trace of humor on my face.

"You're not joking," he realised after a minute.

"No."

"But you are safe here, right?" he asked anxiously.

"I hope so," I muttered, trying to convince myself as well as him.

"You said you went to a school there. Is it true?" He changed the topic and I was relieved.

"Yes, but I haven't finished my education. That't why I left. I couldn't use magic then because I was still underage at the time. But even though I'm of age now, I'm not fully trained yet."

"I thought you were seventeen." He frowned, confused.

"I am. But we come of age at seventeen. Before my seventeenth birthday I couldn't do magic outside of school," I explained.

"But why did you go to Britain in the first place? Is it the only school of magic in the world? How many wizards are there?"

"Hogwarts is not the only school of magic. I was offered a place in an American school but since I was born in Britain and therefore enrolled at Hogwarts, I could choose between those two schools. I chose Hogwarts because I always felt more British than American."

He listened eagerly, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

"I didn't know your parents are British," he said, surprised.

"Only Charlie. He comes from York and met my mum when she was travelling across England with her friends. They fell in love and she then moved in York. They got married and then had me." I smiled. "But soon – I was two - my mum got depressed by the weather and she missed Phoenix, her hometown, so she talked Charlie into moving to America. He agreed with a condition that they would go to a less populated place. He hated big cities. He then got a job offer from the police department in Forks so they moved here."

I relaxed my position when I spoke. It was now easier talking about the short marriage of my parents.

"But my mum hated Forks, for her, it was even worse than England." I grimaced. "Charlie refused to leave, he loved his new job and the peace and quiet of Forks. After one especially big fight she took me and left. We went to Phoenix and I could only see Charlie one month in summer and one week in winter. And we all spent my birthdays together in Phoenix." I closed my eyes, remembering how I had always looked forward to my birthday, knowing that it was the only day in a year, when we were a real family.

"And how does magic fit into all this?" he asked. I had to smile at his attempt to hide his impatience.

"While I was growing up, weird things would sometimes happen to me. Often when I was angry or scared. For example, when I was six, I was at Charlie's in the summer. He took me fishing with him and I slipped on the mud and was about to fall in the water. Except I didn't. I hovered in the air for a few seconds and then landed safely on the ground next to Charlie. Neither of us understood what had happened. Or when I was at school and a girl from the year above tried to bully me. She ended up with big red pimples all over her face." I smirked. This memory was still strangely satisfying.

Edward laughed out loud at that. "But what did you think it was?"

"I didn't know." I shrugged. "I couldn't tell my mum, she would have freaked out. She hated inexplicable things. So I and Charlie kept it in secret, thinking it was just a coincidence."

I paused, collecting my thoughts. I was getting to the point that had changed my life.

"On the day of my eleventh birthday Charlie was visiting as every year," I went on, staring at Edward's sparkling hand. "We were just having dinner when the doorbell rang. We weren't expecting any visitors. There was a young woman standing at the door. She looked… unusual. The weather was very hot but she wore a long black dress and a cloak. She said she was a representative of the Magical Congres of the United States of America and that she wanted to talk about my magical education."

"That must have been quite a shock." Edward chuckled.

"Yeah." I grinned. "My parents didn't believe her. I remember mum bursting in laughter and dad wanting to kick her out. But I somehow knew she wasn't joking. Then I reminded Charlie of the strange things that had happened to me. Mum totally freaked out then. At that moment the woman pulled out a wand and summoned a chair from our kitchen so mum could collapse in it. She then gave my mum a calming potion so she would calm down. She had to be assured first that it wasn't a poison." I chuckled. "It worked and my mum listened to what the woman had to say."

"What about your father?" asked Edward.

"Well, he was sceptical at first but accepted it a lot easier than mum. He supported my choice of Hogwarts. Mum wouldn't hear of it. She didn't want me to go that far from her. She didn't speak to me for several days after I told her about my choice." I sighed, still feeling frustrated with Renee's stubbornness and inability to accept what I was.

"But how did you become a witch when your parents are not magical?" he asked, frowning.

"There must have been someone magical in my family. It could have been many generations ago and the person could have been a squib. Anyway the magical gene skipped those generations and resurfaced in me," I explained. "I think it came from Charlie's side of the family, considering you can't read his mind properly. And it would explain his easy acceptance of the magical world."

"A squib?" He chuckled.

"A squib is a non-magical child born to magical parents. It's the opposite of me," I explained patiently.

We were both quiet for a while. I tried to enjoy the weather so I closed my eyes and let the sun warm my face.

"So, what now?" he said suddenly. I opened my eyes and looked up at him in confusion. "I mean, you're here, safe. What are you going to do?"

"I don't know," I admitted. "For now, I'll try to get some muggle education, mostly because I don't know any witch or wizard here who could teach me more advanced magic. I don't know for how long I'm going to be stuck here and I don't know what's really going on in Britain. I tried to listen to the radio for some news but it's all taken over by You-Know-Who so I can't get any _real_ news."

A hint of emotion I couldn't quite describe appeared on his face but he quickly composed his expression.

"Is there any hope of defeating this… dark wizard? What is his name, anyway?"

"We don't say his name," I said firmly. "And yes, there is a hope. There is someone who, we believe, can beat him. But I have no idea where he is now. All I know is that he has to do something to destroy You-Know-Who." I didn't feel like telling him the whole and complicated story about Harry Potter and Voldemort so I tried to be very vague.

"He has to do what?" He frowned.

"I don't know," I admitted.

"And if he… succeeds, you want to go back?" Did I imagine the sadness in his voice?

I didn't have to think about my answer. "Yes." Then I thought about it and added, "But it may take years." I didn't tell him that I didn't want to wait until Harry succeeds.

We sat there in silence for a while. I got hungry so I ate my sandwiches, while Edward lay down on his back and stared at the blue sky. I was wondering what he could be thinking. I suddenly wondered if his skin was as hard as I'd heard. I hesitated and then slowly stroked his cold shimmering forearm. It was hard and smooth at the same time. He looked at me, his eyebrows raised, but then his lips slowly spread into a smile.

"Do you mind?" I asked.

"No, it feels… nice," he murmured, still smiling. I began slowly tracing his forearm with my finger.

"Tell me about your family," I said to keep him talking. I liked the sound of his silky voice. "Is Rosalie still angry with me?"

"Angry with you?" He frowned. "She's not angry with _you_ , Bella. She thinks _I_ told you about us."

"And the others? What do they think?"

He sighed. "Emmett doesn't have a problem with you. He's trying to reason with Rosalie. Jasper and Esme trust their mates. Alice and Carlisle assured them that you would keep our secret and they accepted it."

"So it's just Rosalie," I said.

"Yes. I think that maybe if she knew about you…" he said slowly, looking into my eyes now. I stopped stroking his forearm.

"I thought about it," I said with a sigh, "and I decided it would be better if I told them the truth."

"Yes, Alice has seen it," he said. "And she asked me to ask you to do it soon. She hates lying to Jasper and he already knows she keeps things from him."

"Okay."

He lifted himself into a sitting position so fast that I froze, staring at him with wide eyes.

"Sorry." He smiled apologetically and gently took my hand into his. He hesitated for a moment and then he pressed my palm against his face, inhaling deeply. I stared at him, unable to think coherently or move. He remained in this position, inhaling my scent, eyes closed, for what seemed like hours, although it must have been only minutes.

"It's much easier now," he finally whispered, opening his eyes.

"I'm glad," I said faintly, my voice suddenly hoarse.

"So, are you going to show me some magic now?" he asked, suddenly excited, still holding my hand. I blinked several times to process the sudden change of mood.

"Um… sure," I stuttered and cleared my throat. I pulled my wand out of my secret pocket, aware that he was watching me closely. I frowned, trying to think of a spell I could show him.

I was looking around when I spotted a small round stone lying a few feet from me. I placed it on my palm and, pointing my wand at it, and said, " _Engorgio_." The stone grew three times its original size. It was quite heavy now so I did a short movement with my wand and with the words " _Wingardium_ _leviosa_ ," made it levitate in front of me. Then I sent the stone toward the edge of the forest, quickly swished my wand and, saying " _Reducto_!", broke it into thousands of pieces only slightly bigger than dust.

I turned to look at Edward and giggled childishly. He was staring at my wand with wide eyes and a huge smile on his face.

"That. Was. Amazing." He pronounced every word separately.

"A first year can do this," I said, rolling my eyes, but I was pleased with my little performance.

"Tell me about your school," he said, eager for more information, "what can you learn in a school of magic?"

So I spent another hour or so talking about magical school subjects. I described the diference between Transfiguration and Charms, the creatures we learned about in DADA and Care of Magical Creatures, or magical plants from Herbology lessons. For the whole while he was unceasingly in awe though I didn't go into much details because describing everything about my school would have taken me at least a week.

The sun was getting lower when I finished describing Divination classes, which he found deeply amusing. "I have to tell Alice," he said, laughing. He was completely relaxed now, half sitting, half laying, supporting his weight on one elbow.

It was getting colder so I put my sweatshirt on. Edward looked at his watch and sighed.

"We should go back so Charlie wouldn't worry," I said, not very happy about it.

"Yes." He didn't look enthusiastic either but suddenly his face lit up with a smile.

"Can I show you something?" He was on his feet before I could blink.

"Show me what?" I narrowed my eyes suspiciously.

"How I travel in the forest."

"I suppose you run," I said slowly. He looked a bit disappointed like I'd just ruined a big surprise.

"Well, yes," he said and his face lit up again. "So do you want a ride? I promise you'll be very safe."

"A ride?" I was getting excited, too. His smile grew even wider when he saw my expression.

"Climb on my back." He ordered but his tone was playful.

I did as he asked, knowing that for him I was as heavy as a feather. I clamped my legs and arms tightly around him. It was like clinging to a stone. He suddenly grabbed my hand and pressed my palm to his face again.

"Easier all the time," he muttered.

And then he was running. He streaked through the dark, thick underbrush of the forest like a bullet, like a ghost. There was no sound, no evidence that his feet touched the earth. His breathing never changed, never indicated any effort. But the trees flew by at deadly speeds, always missing us by inches. It reminded me of flying on my broomstick so I let out a few giggles. It really _was_ like flying, except we weren't in the air.

And then it was over, too quickly for my liking. He stopped by his car and I slowly climbed down.

"Exhilarating, isn't it?" His face was radiant.

"Yeah, it was almost as good as flying." I smiled happily at him.

"You like flying?" he asked, curious, as we were getting in the car.

"I love it. There's nothing better than that. I miss it so much." I sighed, resting my head against the headrest. "The wind in my hair, the freedom, the speed, the height. Everything."

"Um, how can you have wind in your hair on a plane?" He frowned in confusion. He'd started the car so we were already moving.

"I wasn't talking about _planes_." I rolled my eyes.

"So you like what… gliding? Or parachuting?" He looked at me sceptically.

"Really, Edward? You're forgetting what I am." I was watching him, waiting for him to finally get it.

"Don't tell me you fly on a broomstick." He laughed.

"Of course I do."

He looked at me with raised eyebrows. He clearly thought I was joking.

"One day I'll show you," I said, regretting that I'd left my broom at the Weasleys.

"Can't wait." He grinned.

I just shook my head and let this subject go. He would have to see it with his own eyes. I just wondered if I'd ever get the chance to show him.

We fell quiet again so he turned on the radio to an oldies station. Then he surprised me when he took my hand without thinking and started singing along with a song I'd never heard. I looked at our interwoven hands and smiled, then looked up at him.

"How old are you anyway? You never told me," I asked.

"You never asked." He winked at me, smiling.

"Well, I'm asking now."

"I was born in Chicago in 1901." He paused and glanced at me from the corner of his eyes. "Carlisle found me in a hospital in the summer of 1918. I was seventeen and dying of the Spanish influenza."

I stared at him with wide eyes. I just couldn't imagine Edward dying. He looked down into my eyes and continued.

"I don't remember it well – it was a very long time ago and human memories fade." He was lost in his thoughts for a short time before he went on. "I do remember how it felt, when Carlisle saved me. It's not an easy thing, not something you could forget."

"Your parents?"

"They had already died from the disease. I was alone. That was why he chose me. In all the chaos of the epidemic, no one would ever realize I was gone."

"Why did he do it?" I wondered. "Why didn't he let you… die? I mean, I'm glad he didn't but still. I heard it's very painful."

He looked at me again with a speculative expression before he answered. It made me wonder what he was thinking.

"He acted from loneliness. That's usually the reason behind the choice. And yes, it was very, _very_ painful."

"What about the others?"

"I was the first in Carlisle's family, though he found Esme soon after," he said, now looking ahead. "She fell from a cliff. They brought her straight to the hospital morgue, though, somehow, her heart was still beating.

"He brought Rosalie next. I didn't realize till much later that he was hoping she would be to me what Esme was to him – he was careful with his thoughts around me." He rolled his eyes. "But she was never more than a sister. It was only two years later that she found Emmett. She was hunting – we were in Appalachia at the time – and found a bear about to finish him off. She carried him back to Carlisle, more than a hundred miles, afraid she wouldn't be able to do it herself."

He fell quiet then and I realised we were parked in front of Charlie's house now. I wanted to ask about Alice and Jasper but he was staring at an unfamiliar car that was parked in our driveway.


	13. Visitors

**A/N: Hi. I have to admit that I'm not very happy with this chapter. I spent many hours thinking about some of the dialogs but I couldn't think of any other way how to write it. So enjoy if you can :)**

 **And as usual, thank you for reading and reviewing.**

 **EDIT: 09/03/2018 Minor editing made.**

 **Chapter thirteen**

"Who is it?" I asked, squinting at the driver of the dark red car. I could only see the outlines of two people inside.

"I _think_ the car belongs to the priest, Mr. Weber," Edward said, his tone a bit strained. "But there are two women inside, one of them is Angela. I can't hear the other." There was a hint of frustration in his voice.

"Angela's mum?" I suggested.

"Maybe." He shrugged.

I sat there, wondering what could Angela want. And Edward couldn't hear the other woman's mind so that could mean only one thing. I felt a thrilling sensation in my stomach at the possibility of another magical person in Forks, but I was also very nervous.

"I'm going inside," I decided, unfastening the seatbelt.

"Be careful," he whispered, his voice urgent. "Though I have an idea what they might want. I can hear Angela's feelings and she is nervous and determined. Now she's also relieved because she can see you're all right."

So Angela wanted to make sure Edward hadn't hurt me. I felt touched by her concern and I promised myself to convince her that the Cullens weren't dangerous.

"Bella?" Edward suddenly said as I was about to open the door.

"Yes?"

"I'd like to know for sure what this is about, but I don't think it would be the best idea if I went to meet them with you," he said. I nodded, waiting for him to go on. "So since I can't hear the thoughts of any of you, would it be alright if I stayed outside to listen?"

This surprised me. I knew he'd stayed outside of our house sometimes to watch over me, he'd said it before. But he'd never asked my permission.

"Um, sure," I said, smiling weakly.

I got out of the car then, carefully closing the door behind me. Edward started the car and drove away. I threw a surprised look after him but then I realised that he probably didn't want Angela to know he would be staying nearby. I took a deep breath and started walking to the front door. I noticed Charlie still wasn't home because his cruiser wasn't there.

The doors of the other car opened at that moment and Angela and the other woman stepped out. The woman was tall, slim and had the same light brown hair as Angela but shorter. She looked about forty years old.

"Hello," I greeted them, trying to make my smile look pleasantly surprised. "My dad has gone fishing, I'm afraid." I was pretty sure they wanted to talk to me but I felt it was better pointing it out anyway.

"Hi, Bella," said Angela tentatively.

"Miss Swan, I'm Amelia Weber, Angela's mother," the woman introduced herself, offering her hand.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Weber." I shook her hand and then looked at her questioningly. "Like I said, my dad isn't home yet so if there is anything I could - "

"We're here to talk to _you_ , if you wouldn't mind," Mrs. Weber interrupted me.

"Oh, okay," I said, gesturing toward the house. "Let's go inside, then."

When we were inside, I offered them the chairs in the kitchen and asked if they wanted something for drink. They both refused but they took off their coats and sat down.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" I asked, sitting down as well. I looked directly into Mrs. Weber's eyes, trying to hide my nerves.

"Angela told me that you are forming a relationship with one of the Cullens," she said, glancing toward her daughter, who lowered her eyes.

I didn't say anything, wondering if „relationship" was the right word. I hadn't talked about us with Edward, I realised, though he did hold my hand. I slightly shook my head, trying to focus on Mrs. Weber.

"Angela also told me that she'd warned you to avoid them," Mrs. Weber continued when I didn't speak.

I felt it would be good to finally say something. "Yes, she did." I glanced at Angela, who was now staring at her hands.

"But still, you went out with him today." Mrs. Weber gave me a disapproving look. "So I thought it would be better to tell you something about the Cullen family."

"I know enough about them." I had no idea what she was about to tell me. As far as I knew, she didn't know that I was a witch and therefore had the knowledge about the existence of vampires.

"All right." She pressed her lips together, looking stern. "What do you _think_ you know, then?"

I hesitated. I suddenly wasn't a hundred percent sure that Mrs. Weber was a witch. What if there was some other reason why Edward couldn't read her mind? What if, by telling her, I accidentally revealed the truth about the wizarding world to a muggle? But if she weren't a witch, how else would she know the truth about the Cullens? Or _did_ she know they were vampires? What if she thought they were just criminals or something like that?

"I know what they are," I said slowly, watching closely her reaction. "I know you think they are dangerous, and to some extent you are right, but they are different from others of their kind. They wouldn't hurt anyone. They try to be like us."

She was staring at me with narrowed eyes, taking her time to speak. "You know what they are," she repeated slowly after at least a minute. "How? Did he tell you?" Her voice sounded sceptical.

"I knew already. But he confirmed it," I said, now folding my arms across my chest in a defensive position.

"You knew," she said but it seemed she spoke mostly to herself. Suddenly she opened her handbag and pulled out something that looked like a business card. She handed it to me. I stared at her with raised eyebrows, but when her face grew impatient I took the card and looked at it. It actually _was_ a business card, though instead of plastic it was made of a very thin piece of wood. There were letters carved in it in shining gold colour and it read:

 _Amelia C. Weber_

 _Head Healer_

 _Magical Hospital of the United States of America_

 _Seattle_

I stared at it for several seconds, feeling relieved. So she _was_ a witch. I looked back at her, hundreds of questions swirling around in my head, not knowing what to say first. She was watching me, her face expectant.

"You are a healer?" I said the first thing that came to my mind.

"Good," she smiled slightly and she too looked relieved. She took her card back, completely ignoring my question. "I'm glad we've cleared this up." When she saw my confused expression, she went on. "It was a test. Had you been a no-maj, you would have seen different words, suitable for non-magical people."

"Oh," said Angela, looking at me with a sudden smile. She had been watching the two of us for the whole time. "That explains a lot."

"Yeah, I could say the same." I grinned at her. For the first time in months I felt elated. I found someone who could understand me, who could maybe even help me. Someone who was like me. "But you are not a witch?" I asked Angela, realising that she propably wouldn't have attended a muggle school.

"No, I'm a squib," she said with a slight smile. "But I don't really mind. At least I know about all the cool magical stuff." She sounded cheerful but I felt a bit sorry for her. It must have been hard growing up surrounded by magic and knowing she would never be able to do any of it.

"So did you guess what I am?" I asked her, curious.

"Not at first," said Angela. "But I grew suspicious, when you didn't seem to be intimidated by the Cullens like the rest of us. And then when you met Edward in Port Angeles and went for dinner with him, I panicked. I knew what he was and I didn't trust him," she admitted with a sheepish smile. "Then when I heard about your date and tried to warn you, you said you knew what they were. I didn't know what you'd thought you knew so I told mom and she decided it would be better to talk to you."

"MACUSA has been monitoring the Cullens since the day they moved in Forks," said Mrs Weber. "I was chosen to keep an eye on them although I don't work at MACUSA, but I live here so it was only logical. We couldn't contact them directly because vampires usually don't know about us, as you probably know." I nodded and she went on. "We went through a few very anxious days when their leader started working at the hospital, with all the blood around. We stationed two of our people to work there, in case it got out of control. But it never happened. He turned out to be exceptionally well-controlled." There was a hint of admiration in her voice. "Of course we couldn't know for sure that all members of his coven would have the same discipline so we had to continue watching over them."

"Do you watch other vampires, too?" I asked, curious.

"We know about most of them but they are usually nomads and tend to avoid populated areas. If any of them gets out of hand, the Volturi take care of it. The Cullens are a special case because they live among humans so it's a bigger risk of exposure. It would take a lot of work to clear the mess and the Volturi don't have the means to do it. Speaking of which," she suddenly looked sternly into my eyes. "What do they know?"

It was clear what she meant and I hesitated. Would she think that I had breached the Statute of Secrecy?

"Well, Edward sort of guessed," I said carefully. "But he already knew about our existence. Carlisle – I mean Dr. Cullen – he's very old. He remembers the times before the Statute of Secrecy."

"And he told the others?" Mrs. Weber's face turned furious. "He's not allowed to do that. We made sure that all vampires at that time knew that they weren't allowed to tell anyone."

"He didn't," I said quickly. I didn't want her to hold Carlisle responsible for that. "You know, Edward has a Gift. He can read minds." I hoped Edward wouldn't mind me saying this. I bit my lip nervously, glancing at the window.

"A mind-reader?" Her face softened a bit. "Well, it that case I can see that it was impossible to keep it a secret. Does anyone else from the coven have a Gift?"

"Alice can predict future," I admitted. Angela looked at me with wide eyes.

"Hm," said Mrs. Weber shortly. "I would very much like to talk to them. Do you think you could arrange that?"

"Well, actually - " I started to speak but at the moment the door bell rang. I had an idea who that might be. And I was right.

"May I join you?" Edward asked with an innocent expression, when I opened the door.

"Couldn't you just wait until I told them you were outside?" I hissed at him. He just smiled and walked past me inside. I sighed, closed the door and followed after him.

"How convenient," I heard Mrs. Weber say suspiciously, just before I entered the kitchen. She threw me a knowing look. "I suppose it's not a coincidence that Mr. Cullen is here?" She was standing behind her chair now, her arms folded across her chest. Edward was standing opposite her in the same position.

"I needed to know what this was about," he said. "Thanks to my abilities I often serve as a lookout for my family. With you, I had no other option but to listen outside the house."

"A lookout?" I frowned, confused. I leaned against the wall so it was only Angela sitting. I didn't like the tense atmosphere that had emerged with Edward's arrival.

"Yes. Me and Alice always watch out for potential danger of exposure," he explained, not taking his eyes off Mrs. Weber. "Now, you said you wanted to talk to me."

"I'd rather talk to your leader," said Mrs. Weber, though she relaxed her position.

"I'm the second oldest in our family," Edward said firmly. "I can assure you that I will tell Carlisle everything you'll tell me."

Mrs. Weber thought about it for a few seconds and then said, "Very well. Let's sit down then." She gestured to the chairs and we all sat down. "So," Mrs. Weber began, "do all members of your _family_ know about us?"

Edward looked at her with narrowed eyes, then said, "No. Only me, Carlisle and Alice." He paused for a second. "But I'd like to ask you for a permission to tell the others. We're not used to keep secrets from each other and it's already very hard for them to not tell their mates."

Mrs. Weber considered it for a few moments. "All right," she finally said. "But I'll have to inform MACUSA."

At that moment Edward turned his head to the window, frowning. "Your father is coming," he said, turning his head back to us.

"Does your father know?" asked Mrs. Weber quickly.

"He knows about me."

"Of course. But about the Cullens?" She rolled her eyes impatiently.

"No."

"What are we going to tell him?" piped Angela. I'd completely forgotten her presence. "I mean, why are we here?" I, too, could hear Charlie's cruiser pulling up now. We all fell silent, trying to come up with an excuse for our little meeting.

"We're going to tell him that you had a suspicion that Bella was a witch and wanted to confirm it," said Edward, whose mind was the fastest. We all nodded just as we heard the front door open.

"Bella?" Charlie called from the hall, his voice confused. "Are you home?"

"Yes, Dad!" I called, hurrying to the hall to meet him. "We have visitors," I informed him.

"I saw the car, it looked like Mr. Weber's," he said, taking off his jacket. He handed me a bag, which, by the smell, was full of fish. "Could you put it into the fridge?"

"It's Angela and her mum," I said, peering into the bag. There was enough fish for at least a few months.

"What do they want?" asked Charlie, heading for the kitchen. At that moment, Edward appeared in the kitchen doorway. Charlie stopped, surprised. "Edward, right? I didn't see your car."

"Yes, sir. I parked down the street so I wouldn't block your driveway," Edward said with a pleasant smile. He shook hands with Charlie, who flinched slightly at the coldness of Edward's palm. Charlie didn't question Edward's presence for which I was grateful.

"Mrs. Weber," he said, entering the kitchen, "What a pleasant surprise! I don't think we ever met properly." He shook hands with Mrs. Weber and smiled at Angela. While they were exchanging formalities I put the bag with the fish into the fridge and walked to Edward, who had been standing behind his chair. He smiled at me and gently stroked the back of my hand. I looked at the others but only Angela seemed to notice us. She quickly looked away.

"So, to what do we owe the pleasure?" asked Charlie maybe too politely. He gestured to us to sit down and went to the living room to get another chair.

"Actually, we came to see your daughter," said Mrs. Weber, as Charlie finally sat down. Then she told him what we had agreed to tell him. Charlie wasn't as surprised as I'd thought.

"I've always wondered if there was someone magical around here," he said, surprising us all. "I thought it would be great for Bella – wait!" He said suddenly, pointing his finger at Edward. "Are you magical too?"

"No, sir. But Bella told me, though I'd already suspected the truth."

"I thought it was a secret. You told me it was against the law to tell anyone what you are, Bella." Charlie looked at me with raised eyebrows. Fortunatelly I was saved from answering by Mrs. Weber.

"The Cullen family is an exception. They cooperate with us quite often but I'm afraid I can't tell you more."

I tried not to look that this was news to me and nodded. Edward's face, on the other hand, looked utterly convincing. I smiled gratefully at Mrs. Weber and she secretly winked at me.

"Okay," said Charlie. I could see that he was still curious but I knew he wouldn't ask any more questions about this subject.

"So, Bella." Mrs. Weber turned to me, her face suddenly full of concern. "Angela said you came from Britain."

"Yes," I said quietly.

"What is your situation? I suppose you are from a no-maj family." She glanced at Charlie.

I stared at her suddenly unsure what to say. What if she was a spy from the British Ministry and came to find me and take me back to Britain? How did I know that I could trust her? _Don't be paranoid!_ I said to myself. She was expecting my answer.

"Um, yes," I murmured, lowering my eyes. I could feel Edward stroking my hand under the table. I calmed down a bit and looked up at Mrs. Weber. "I had to leave. They wanted to question me about my origin so I thought it would be better to go and live here with my dad for a while."

"That was a wise decision," she agreed. "But tell me, what is really going on in Britain? We have only offical news but some of us think it's not what's really been happening there."

"Well, I don't really know," I admitted. "I left a day after Scrimgeour was killed and You-Know-Who took over the Ministry so -"

" _Killed_?!" Mrs. Weber interrupted me. She was shocked and Angela looked surprised too. "We didn't know he was killed. They said he stepped down."

That didn't surprise me at all. "Well, he was murdered by Death Eaters. Or by You-Know-Who himself, I don't know the details."

"Who was this Scrimgeour?" asked Edward. Charlie didn't speak but he looked much paler than usual.

"The Minister for Magic," I explained. Edward lifted his eyebrows but didn't say anything else. "He was replaced by You-Know-Who's man but I don't remember his name. It's one of the few bits of information I got when I was listening to the radio."

"You've said that before," said Edward. "But how can you get information about your world on the radio?"

"I'm sure she means a wizarding radio," answered Mrs. Weber and then turned to me. "His name is Pius Thicknesse and we don't know much about him. What else did you hear?"

"I heard about the new Headmaster of Hogwarts." I gritted my teeth and went on without further explanation. "And about a Ministry break-in." I wondered how much I should say about Harry.

"Yes, we heard that too," Mrs. Weber said, nodding. "They try to put the blame on the Potter boy but I can't really imagine what he could have been doing there. It doesn't make sense. Why would he voluntarily walk into the one place where everyone has been looking for him?"

"Well, I thought it was strange too," I said. "But knowing Harry, I'm pretty sure that if it was something important, he would definitely do it." I still remembered very vividly his last visit to the Ministry and how it ended.

"Hang on," said Charlie, frowning. "The name rings a bell. Isn't he one of your friends, Bella?"

"Um, yes," I admitted. I'd never really told Charlie about Harry's part in the whole Voldemort business.

"Does he come from a non-magical family too?" asked Charlie. "Is he in hiding like you?"

"Well, Dad, no." I hesitated, looking at Mrs. Weber, who lifted her eyebrows. "Both his parents were magical. And yes, he is in hiding, too."

"Were?" Edward noticed the past tense.

I sighed. "It's a very long story. In short: You-Know-Who killed his parents when Harry was one year old. He tried to kill Harry, too, but failed and disappeared. Two years ago You-Know-Who returned and it is believed that Harry is the one who can beat him. No one knows where Harry is now or how he is supposed to kill You-Know-Who."

"But he's about your age, isn't he?" said Charlie, frowning.

"Yes." About six weeks older, I thought, but didn't say it aloud.

"So, you believe that a seventeen years old kid can beat, according to you, the worst dark wizard in history?" asked Charlie sceptically. It sounded crazy when he put it this way, I had to admit.

"He's done some great things," I tried to explain. "And we believe Dumbledore himself had taught him what to do."

"But you said he's dead, this Dumbledore," said Charlie. "So he's alone. I think you believe in a miracle."

"He's not alone," I said, a little more fervently than I intended. "His two best friends are with him."

"It doesn't make much of a difference," argued Charlie. "They're still kids."

I stared at him helplessly, not knowing what to say. I was beginning to realise that he might be right. That we really believed in a miracle and that the chance that Harry could beat Voldemort is extremely small.

"What will happen if he fails?" asked Edward quietly.

"The dark lord would probably easily suppress all the remaining resistence groups in Britain and then he would try to expand his power to other countries," said Mrs. Weber. "He would start with Europe, of course, but we can't rule out the possibility that he would try to reach power over here, too."

"But people would fight him, wouldn't they?" Edward said with a frown. "He can be killed."

We exchanged looks with Mrs. Weber but it was me who answered his question. "Well, he is very powerful. I don't know what really happened, but it is said, that when he'd tried to kill Harry and failed, the killing curse rebounded from Harry and hit him. Many people thought he'd died, but some didn't believe it. And they were right because he came back."

"How could the boy survive?" asked Charlie incredulously. This time, even Mrs. Weber and Angela were looking at me, curious. Apparently they didn't know either.

"His mum died to save him and it gave him the protection." I said simply. Actually, I didn't know much more either, Harry had never been very specific about it and I never really asked him.

"Oh," said Mrs. Weber and then she frowned thoughtfully. Then, she steered the conversation back to more important things. "So is that all you've heard about Britain?"

"Yes," I admitted. "I never tried to tune the radio again. I was afraid of what I might hear." It was stupid, I knew that, but I just couldn't make myself to do it again. At that moment Angela's phone beeped and she pulled it out of her pocket to read the message.

"It's Dad," she said to Mrs. Weber. "He wants to know when we'll be back." I looked at the kitchen clock. It was nearly seven thirty.

"I think you should know what's going on, even if you don't get the information you want," Mrs. Weber said to me and stood up, putting on her coat. We all stood up too and walked the Webers to the front door.

"You're probably right," I sighed, making a mental note to tune in the radio first thing tomorrow morning. Then I remembered why I wanted to find someone magical in the first place. "Mrs. Weber, do you think you can help me with something?"

"Sure, what do you need?"

"I need someone, who would teach me more advanced magic." I tried not to give away too much. I didn't think Charlie and Edward would be happy if I told them I actually wanted to learn how to fight. "And I'd also like to learn how to apparate."

Mrs. Weber lifted an eyebrow. "You don't have a licence yet?"

"Um, no," I admitted. "I was supposed to learn this year but…" I left the sentence unfinished and Mrs. Weber nodded in understanding. Charlie and Edward exchanged confused looks.

"Oh, of course. I'll see what I can do," she promised. They said goodbye to Charlie and Mrs. Weber then turned to Edward. "I would still like to talk to your family." She glanced at Charlie, who was watching them curiously, before she went on. "I want to discuss a few conditions of your earlier request."

"Of course," said Edward politely. "I'll tell my father about it and let you know when we can meet."

"Good." Mrs. Weber smiled slightly and then they left.

"I should go as well," said Edward.

"Do you have to?" I didn't feel like letting him go yet.

"Yes, it's dark outside and Esme would be worried." I was pretty sure he said that only because Charlie was standing next to me, but I couldn't resist lifting my eyebrows slightly.

"Actually, Edward," said Charlie and we both turned to look at him. "I don't think I ever thanked you for saving Bella's life in the van accident. So, thank you. It was very brave of you."

"It was nothing, sir," said Edward modestly. "I was just in the right place at the right time."

"Maybe, but still. If you or your family ever need anything from me, just let me know."

"Thank you, sir."

Charlie then returned to the kitchen so we were left alone. "I think he likes you," I said, nodding toward the kitchen. Edward just smiled and took my hand. We walked outside together. "So, I guess I'll see you at school," I said not very enthusiastically when we were standing on the porch, lowering my head.

He chuckled at my expression and gently lifted my head with his finger so I would look at him. "Won't I see you tomorrow?" he said softly, gazing into my eyes so intensely, that my head felt a bit dizzy.

"Um, you-you want to?" I finally managed to stammer out, feeling like an idiot. Of course my face went red.

"Well, I actually thought you might want to meet my family," he suggested, still speaking in a low voice. Our faces were now so close to each other that our foreheads almost touched. I had to remind myself how to breathe. It took me a while to realise what he had said.

"Tomorrow?!" I blurted out in an unusually high voice.

"Are you afraid?" He grinned wickedly.

"Of course not." I straightened myself and slightly pulled away so I could see his face properly. "I just thought we should wait until Mrs. Weber speaks with Carlisle first."

"It would be much easier if they all knew before the meeting. She can meet us all and tell us her conditions."

"Okay." I sighed. He was right, it would be easier for everyone if his family knew. Maybe even Rosalie would finally stop glaring at me as she had done every time I happened to look toward the Cullen table in the cafeteria the last few days.

"I'll pick you up around ten, if that's alright?" he said, leaning his head toward me again. I just nodded. He smiled gently and, after a short hesitation, lightly pressed his cold lips on my forehead. Before I could say or do anything, he turned around and walked away.


	14. The Cullens

**Chapter fourteen**

I slept really well thanks to the long and exhausting day. When I woke up in the morning, the sky was cloudy again but it wasn't raining. Agnes was perched on a branch outside the window with a mouse in her beak. When she saw I was awake, she hooted softly and flew off. Then I glanced at the alarm clock and jumped off the bed at once. It was nearly nine and Edward was supposed to be here at ten.

I sprinted to the bathroom and washed myself as quickly as possible, trying to figure out what would be the best outfit for meeting Edward's family. I rarely cared about clothes and fashion but this was a sort of a special occasion and I wanted to make a good first impression. Or rather an official first impression since I already knew most of the Cullens from school. But since I'd never really talked to them it was basically the same as if I was about to meet them for the first time.

I decided on my only skirt that didn't belong to my school uniform. It was a black, knee lenght skirt and the only one I wore voluntarily. Then I put on the blue blouse Edward had once complimented. I pulled my hair back into a pony tail and, grabbing the radio and my wand, headed for the kitchen.

I'd told Charlie that I would be at the Cullens last night so he went fishing again. I turned on the radio with my wand and was listening to the music while I was preparing breakfast. There were three songs in a row without any interruption. I was beginning to wonder if I'd tuned the right station when a male voice announced the news would start in about ten minutes. I glanced at the clock and it was ten minutes to ten.

I sat down at the table with a plate full of scrambled eggs and started to eat, wondering, what news I would hear. As soon as I finished eating, the doorbell rang. I ran to the door, nearly crashing into the kitchen door frame, eager to see Edward again and, at the same time, worried that I'd miss the news on the radio, which was about to begin any second now. I pulled the door open and there he was standing, perfect as ever, with an amused expression on his face.

"Hi and come in," I said and hurried back to the kitchen. I heard him chuckle behind me but he obeyed and followed me.

"Nice to see you, too," he said, but I put my finger in front of my mouth to silence him. The radio presenter, probably the same as the last time, just announced the news.

" _It's five o'clock and we bring you the latest news. The Ministry Aurors have been receiving daily owls about the whereabouts of the Undesirable Number One, Harry Potter. Unfortunatelly, most of them have turned out to be false. But the Ministry spokesman asurred us, that they will continue to do everything they can to bring him to justice. He is wanted for breaking into the Ministry at the beginning of September. His motive for this act still remains unknown._ "

I sighed in relief and looked at Edward, who was standing behind a chair, listening. The radio presenter went on.

" _There are only two more days left for the Muggle-borns to present themselves for interview by the Muggle-born Registration Commission. You can see the list of the Muggle-borns, who are yet to be interrogated, in today's Daily Prophet. And what will happen to those who decide to ignore the invitation?_ "

A familiar sickly sweet girly voice filled the kitchen:

 _"There will be search parties looking for the unregistered Muggle-borns all over Britain. Also, we have reliable information that some of them have fled Britain and are in hiding abroad. We can assure you, that we have very good means of tracking them down."_

 _"That was the Head of the Muggle-born – "_

I turned if off, again unable to listen to it anymore. I stared at the little radio in horror. Edward suddenly appeared by my side so fast, I hadn't noticed him moving. He pulled me into his chest and hugged me, gently stroking my back.

"They won't find you here, Bella," he whispered in a soothing voice. "And I'll protect you, if they do." At first, I was startled by his sudden reaction but then I buried my head into his chest and closed my eyes.

We stayed like that for several minutes. I actually felt safe at that moment, knowing that vampires are much stronger than wizards and that the Death Eaters had very little chance to get to me as long as the Cullens were here. I only wished the other Muggle-borns were as lucky as me.

"We can stay here, if you want," he said after a while, still stroking my back.

"No, I'm fine." I lifted my head. His eyes were gentle but he looked a bit worried. "Let's go see your family."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." I pulled myself away from him and, sticking my wand into my handbag, walked to the door.

* * *

I realised, as we sat in his Volvo, that I had no idea where he lived. We passed over the bridge at the Calawah River, the road winding northward, the houses flashing past us growing farther apart, getting bigger. And then we were past the other houses altogether, driving through misty forest. I was trying to decide whether to ask or be patient, when he turned abruptly onto an unpaved road. It was unmarked, barely visible among the ferns. The forest encroached on both sides, leaving the road ahead only discernible for a few meters as it twisted, serpentlike, around the ancient trees.

And then, after a few miles, there was some thinning of the woods, and we were suddenly in a lawn. The gloom of the forest didn't relent, though, for there were six huge old-looking cedars that shaded an entire acre with their vast sweep of branches. The trees held their protecting shadow right up to the walls of the house that rose among them, making obsolete the deep porch that wrapped around the first floor.

The house was timeless, graceful and probably a hundred years old. It was painted a soft, faded white, three floors tall, rectangular and well proportioned. The windows and doors were either part of the original structure or a perfect restoration. I could hear the river close by, hidden in the obscurity of the forest.

Edward parked in front of the porch and I could feel his eyes on me.

"Wow," I said, my eyes fixed on the house in front of us.

"You like it?" He smiled.

"It… has a certain charm."

He pulled the end of my ponytail and chuckled. "Ready?" he asked, opening my door.

"Not really." I sighed, suddenly feeling very nervous. "Let's go."

We both got out of the car and Edward was by my side in half of a second, taking my hand without thinking. "You look beautiful," he said, smiling at me encouragingly. I tried to smile back but I could feel my smile was too tight.

We walked through the deep shade up to the porch. Edward opened the door for me.

The inside was very bright, very open and very large. This must have originally been several rooms, but the walls had been removed from most of the first floor to create one wide space. The back, south-facing wall had been entirely replaced with glass, and, beyond the shade of the cedars, the lawn stretched bare to the wide river. A massive curving staircase dominated the west side of the room. The walls, the high-beamed ceiling, the wooden floors and the thick carpets were all varying shades of white.

Waiting to greet us, standing just to the left of the door, on a raised portion of the floor by a spectacular grand piano, were Dr. Cullen and his wife Esme, the only one of the family I'd never seen before. She had the same pale, beautiful features as the rest of them. She was small and slender and had a heart-shaped face and caramel-coloured hair. They were both smiling warmly in welcome.

"Carlisle, Esme," Edward's voice broke the short silence, "this is Bella."

"Welcome, Bella." Carlisle approached me and raised his hand and I stepped forward and shook it.

"It's nice to see you again, Dr. Cullen."

"Please, call me Carlisle."

"Carlisle." I smiled. My nervousness was suddenly gone and I felt strangely calm and confident. I glanced at Edward who was now staring at the staircase. Then Esme stepped forward as well, reaching for my hand.

"It's very nice to finally meet you," she said sincerely.

"Thank you. I'm glad to meet you too."

At that moment, Alice, Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie appeared at the foot of the stairs. Alice was literally bouncing with excitement and then she streaked past Carlisle and Esme and stopped right in front of me. Carlisle and Esme shot warning glances at her, but I liked it.

"Hi, Bella!" Alice said and bounced forward to kiss my cheek. Her excitement took me aback at first but then I remembered that she knew why I was here. I could feel Edward stiffen at my side.

"You do smell nice. I never noticed before," she commented, to my extreme embarrassment. And then Jasper walked to me, moving more slowly and cautiously than Alice. He stopped behind her, not offering me his hand, and a new wave of calm and ease spread through me.

"There's no need for that, Jasper," murmured Edward, so quietly that I barely heard him.

"Hello, Bella," said Jasper, completely ignoring Edward. I glanced between the two of them, confused. "I can feel and manipulate emotions," he explained with a shy smile, noticing my perplexed expression.

"Oh," I said and turned to Edward. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"You never asked." He shrugged, his eyes never leaving Jasper. I heard a loud fake cough and when I looked up, I could see Emmett striding toward me with a huge grin on his face.

"Hey, Bella!" he said in a booming voice, grabbing my hand but he shook it rather carefully. He was huge and, at first sight, rather intimidating. But his eyes sparkled with excitement and mischief.

"H-Hi, Emmet," I stammered embarrassingly and his grin grew even bigger.

"Emmett," Edward growled warningly.

"Relax, little brother," Emmett brushed off Edward's warning, completely at ease. "I'm not going to eat her. Just wanted to get to know your new toy." He winked at me and I giggled. I was unable to find Emmett scary anymore, thanks to his easy-going nature. Edward glared at him.

"Boys," Esme told them off and then looked at Rosalie, who was now the only one standing by the stairs. "Rosalie, come and say hello to our guest."

Rosalie folded her arms across her chest but, other than that, didn't move. She just glared at me.

"Rosalie, be nice," said Esme, frowning.

"I agreed to be here, not to be nice," retorted Rosalie.

"Come on, baby," said Emmett, moving to her in a second and trying to grab her arm. She stopped him with her glare and he put his hands up as in surrender. "Okay, calm - "

"Don't you tell me to calm down," she snapped at him and then turned her glare toward the rest of us. Edward pulled me closer to his side. "You don't realize how dangerous it is," Rosalie went on. "She's _human_ , Edward. How do we know that we can trust her? And even if she - "

"Enough," said Edward furiously.

"I won't tell anyone," I said, but my throat was too tight so it sounded like croaking. I cleared my throat and when everyone, including Rosalie, turned to look at me, I took a few steps toward the middle of the room so I could see them all. Everyone, except Edward, Alice and Carlisle, looked surprised and curious. Rosalie stared at me, her lips pressed in a tight line, but she didn't interrupt me. „Edward didn't tell me what you are," I said, my eyes on Rosalie. "I already knew. I've known since I first saw you."

"But how?" asked Jasper incredulously. I had to smile at the shocked expressions on their faces. Even Rosalie forgot to glare.

"Well, I learned about you at school." I shrugged, trying to sound matter-of-factly. "Specifically in the Defence against the Dark Arts class," I added, watching their reactions. They all stared at me, propably trying to figure out whether I was joking or crazy. Only Esme looked concerned. When they didn't speak, I decided to be even more specific. "I went to a school of magic."

The "joking" option had apparently won because Emmett and Jasper burst out laughing and Rosalie smirked. Esme looked worriedly at Carlisle, looking for confirmation. He slightly nodded and she visibly relaxed but looked back at me with raised eyebrows. I waited patiently until Emmett and Jasper stopped laughing. Meanwhile I pulled my wand out of my handbag. When I looked up, I saw seven pairs of golden eyes fixed on my hand in which I held the simple piece of ash wood.

"Come on, Bella! Show us some magic!" said Alice in a high excited voice.

"You knew about this," said Jasper but he didn't sound surprised. I could see that he immediately believed her and therefore me too, without a doubt. Now it was only Emmett and Rosalie who watched me doubtfully.

I looked around the room, thinking hard about a spell I could show them. My eyes fell on one of the golden pillows that were decorating the big white sofa. " _Accio pillow_!" I murmured, pointing my wand at it. The pillow obediently flew into my stretched hand. Then I turned the pillow into a white rabbit, but when the rabbit nearly had a panic attack at the sight of the seven vampires, I decided to turn it back into the pillow. I looked up then. Alice was clapping excitedly, Carlisle was smiling, clearly impressed with my performance and Edward looked proud. The rest of them gaped at me with their mouths open. I bowed slightly and realised that I was actually enjoying it.

"So, just to be clear," I said, pretending I didn't see their shocked faces, and looking at Rosalie, "I won't tell anyone what you are, simply because I can't do it without exposing the existence of my world, which is against the law."

"How? How is this possible?" said Jasper, when he recovered from the shock. "And how come we didn't know about it?"

"I did," admitted Carlisle and then repeated what Edward had told me on our way from Port Angeles. Edward came to my side and took my hand.

"I can't believe you kept this from us the whole time!" said Emmett disbelievingly. "Did _you_ know?" He turned to Edward.

"No. I found out a few weeks ago."

Then Emmett said something that was too low for me to hear. I frowned at Edward, confused, but he just shook his head, the corners of his mouth twitching.

"I think we should sit down," suggested Esme and walked to sit on the sofa, that was surrounded by a couple of comfortable-looking armchairs, and we all followed her. I sat down in one of the armchairs and Edward perched himself on the armrest.

"But I still don't understand why it's a secret," said Jasper after Alice settled herself on his lap in the other armchair. "I mean, once we became vampires, why were we not allowed to know?"

"Well, it's partly for our protection," I said. "Vampires are much stronger and faster than wizards, and there are a very few ways to kill you. That's also the reason why we are immune to vampires' gifts that affect mind. That way we are protected from nosy mind readers." I winked at Edward and he chuckled.

"It didn't protect _you."_ He smirked.

"True." I smiled.

"Why are you telling us now?" asked Rosalie, still in an offhand tone.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" said Alice, rolling her eyes at her. "I, Edward and Carlisle already knew and we wouldn't be able to keep it from you for much longer."

"That's true," I said, nodding. "It's easier for me that you know."

"You said you went to a school of magic," said Carlisle. "What brought you here?"

I sighed but took a deep breath and told them about my situation. I kept it brief, saying no more than what I'd told Edward yesterday. Edward held my hand for the whole time, soothingly tracing little circles on my palm with his thumb.

When I finished, there was a complete silence for at least a minute. Emmett was the first to break it.

"I hope they'll come here!" he said excitedly, pounding his fist in the air. "I'd like to see them facing a bunch of vampires!"

I stared at him while the others just rolled their eyes.

"What?" said Emmett, noticing my expression. "You said we are much stronger. It would be nothing for us. And we could use some excitement. It's been a bit boring here."

"Yes, you are stronger but I'd rather they didn't come anywhere near Forks," I said. "And I'm pretty sure they know a way to kill a vampire and they wouldn't care if they destroyed the whole town while doing it."

"They can do that?" asked Esme worriedly.

"Yes," I replied shortly.

"Then you must stay hidden," said Carlisle, his face concerned.

"That's my plan," I nodded.

"Who was the woman on the radio this morning?" asked Edward. "You looked terrified just by hearing her voice." When the others threw him confused looks, he told them about the news we'd heard this morning.

I clenched my fists when I remembered the year when Dolores Umbridge tried to take control over Hogwarts.

"She was a teacher and briefly the Headmistress of my school two years ago," I explained. "She was appointed to the school by the Ministry in an attempt to deny that You-Know-Who had returned. She took her job very seriously, punishing everyone who dared to claim the opposite."

"Punishing how?" asked Alice.

I looked at her, wondering whether to tell her about Umbridge's ideas of punishment or not. "Mostly writing lines," I finally said, what was only half the truth. A relief appeared on her face and she smiled slightly.

"That's not that bad."

"With their own blood," I blurted out before I could stop myself. I could feel Edward stiffen but I didn't look at him. The others looked at me in horror. The most surprising was Rosalie's reaction. She clapped her hand in front of her mouth and if she could, she would have cried. I wanted to kick myself.

"Did _you_ get punished?" asked Edward anxiously, and this time I did look at him. He looked disgusted.

"No," I said and Edward relaxed a little. "It was mostly Harry. She didn't like when he was trying to persuade people about You-Know-Who's return."

"How could she get away with it?" asked Esme.

"Well, she never bragged about it." I shrugged. "And Harry refused to report it."

There was a long silence after that, everyone seemed to be immersed in their own thoughts. Edward wouldn't let go of my hand but his eyes were on Carlisle. It looked like there was a non-verbal communication going on between the two of them.

"There is something you should know," said Edward, breaking the silence. When everyone turned to look at him, he went on. "Bella is not the only magical person in Forks."

Carlisle raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Who else?"

"Mrs. Weber," Edward said. "Angela Weber's mother."

"The wife of the priest?" asked Esme, surprised.

Edward nodded and then told them about our meeting with Angela and her mum last night. Carlisle was mainly taken aback by the fact that he had been watched at the hospital.

"She wants to see us," Edward finished speaking, directing the words at Carlisle.

"Of course, I'd like to meet her too," he nodded and then they proceeded to discuss what would be the best day for the meeting. I tuned them out, looking around to finally see the room properly.

There was a wide glass door, which was open, leading into what looked like a dining room with a long wooden table in the center of it. Next to it was a kitchen, large and sterile looking, yet equipped with all the modern equipment that I could think of. I stared at it, wondering what would a family of vampires need a kitchen for.

"They are props, so we can pretend to be a normal family if we happen to have guests," said Esme with a smile. She had apparently noticed my confused expression. "And of course we couldn't possibly get a house without kitchen."

"Oh," I said lamely. It was obvious now she'd pointed it out.

"Now, Edward, why don't you show Bella the rest of the house?" Esme turned to Edward with an encouraging smile on her face.

"Would you want to see it?" he asked, looking quite excited.

"Sure." I smiled.


	15. Warning

**Chapter fifteen**

We were sitting in Edward's car on our way back to Charlie's. We didn't talk but Edward was humming quietly, completely at ease. I smiled at him and turned to look out of the window. It was late afternoon now and the sun was low. It had been shining for the last hour but was often hidden behind the clouds. Now it created a beautiful sunset.

I replayed the last several hours in my head. Edward had showed me the rest of his house, including his room. There was no bed, only a big, comfortable-looking couch, but there were long shelves filled with books and discs with music and movies. There was also a big flat screen TV, which was hung on the wall opposite the couch, and a very expensive-looking sound system was placed in the corner.

We'd spent most of the afternoon in his room, listening to his favourite music. He told me more about his family, mostly about Carlisle and his life with his despotic father before he was Turned. At one point Edward had taken me back downstairs and played the piano for me. It was a beautiful song I'd never heard before and later he admitted that he'd composed it himself. It was the melody of his song he was humming now.

Edward pulled over, we were already in front of Charlie's house. Charlie was already home, I could see his cruiser but there was another car parked next to it. I knew the car, it belonged to Billy Black. I smiled, hoping he'd brought Jacob with him. When I turned to Edward I could see his good mood was gone. He was staring at the house, frowning.

"What's wrong?"

"Do you know these people?" he asked, gesturing toward the Black's car.

"Yeah, it's Billy Black," I said, then I realised he'd said _people_ and added, "and probably his son Jacob. Billy is friends with Charlie."

"Hm," was all he said. His lips were pressed into a thin line and he was still staring at the house.

"Do you want to go in with me?" I suggested but he shook his head.

"That wouldn't be a good idea," he said and then glanced at me. "But I won't be far."

"Are you going to be listening again?" I asked, not liking his expression.

"Yes, if you don't mind." He turned to me, his face softening a little.

"Okay," I said quietly and got out of the car with a sigh.

* * *

The moment I entered the house, I could hear angry voices coming from the kitchen.

"You don't understand, Charlie," said the voice of Billy Black, barely able to keep from shouting.

"But you won't explain anything!" argued Charlie in an uncharacteristically furious tone.

I walked to the kitchen doorway, confused. Charlie was standing by the kitchen counter with arms across his chest and his face was red. Billy, sitting in his wheelchair as usual, was parked opposite him, so I couldn't see his face, only his clenched fists on the arms of his wheelchair. Jacob was sitting at the table looking completely helpless, his eyes flitting between Billy and Charlie.

"What's going on?" I asked slowly and took a few steps into the kitchen so I could see Billy's face. He was looking at Charlie through narrowed eyes, his face livid.

When Charlie noticed my presence, he composed his face a little but didn't relax his position.

"Bella." Billy nodded toward me. I nodded back, still waiting for an explanation. Billy turned his wheelchair slightly toward me and said, "Charlie told me about your new friends and I was only expressing my concern about your safety."

I lifted my eyebrows, surprised, and then looked at Charlie. He was glaring at Billy, still in the same position with crossed arms. He didn't say anything.

"I'm not sure I know what you mean," I said slowly, turning back to Billy. I thought I knew the answer but I wanted to be sure.

"The Cullens," specified Billy, confirming my suspicion.

"Oh," I pretented to be surprised. Then I took a deep breath and fixed my eyes firmly at Billy's. "I appreciate your concern, Billy. But there's absolutely nothing to worry about."

"You don't understand, Bella." He spoke with urgency, trying to send me a message about the danger the Cullens represented, I supposed.

"Believe me, I _do_."

We stared at each other for a few moments and then Billy cleared his throat and looked at Jacob. "We're leaving," he murmured and turned his wheelchair toward the door and wheeled himself out into the hall. Jacob stood up, his face confused, and followed Billy. It seemed to me he'd grown up a bit since the last time I'd seen him only two weeks ago. Charlie didn't move so I went out of the kitchen to see them out.

Jacob went to their car but Billy stopped on the porch, turning to me. "We will be watching, Bella," he said quietly. It didn't sound like a threat, more like a promise. I didn't answer. I made a mental note to ask Edward to tell me everything about the treaty between the Cullens and the Quileutes.

I watched Jacob helping Billy into the car and after they drove off, I went back inside. Charlie had finally moved and was now sitting at the table, staring at his hands, apparently thinking about what had happened.

"Um," I started, not knowing what to say. "What do you want for dinner?"

"The Blacks brought a fish fry," mumbled Charlie, waving his hand in the direction of the kitchen counter. I only just noticed a bag lying on it. I took out the fish fry, placed it on a plate and put it into the microwave. I worked in silence, waiting for Charlie to start asking questions I didn't doubt he had.

He waited until I placed the meal on the table and sat down.

"So," he began slowly, "what was that about?" He was trying to sound casual but I could feel the curiousity and remains of anger in his voice.

"The Quileutes apparently don't like the Cullens." I shrugged, mirroring his casual tone.

"And you know why?"

"I think so," I said, picking at the fish.

"Care to explain?" Charlie hadn't touched the food yet, instead he folded his hands under the chin, his eyes fixed on me.

"I – I don't know if I can," I stammered. "It's complicated."

"Let's keep it simple, then." He paused for a few seconds and then asked, „"Are the Cullens dangerous?"

I thought about it for a moment. "They wouldn't harm anyone."

"That's not the same."

I sighed. "They – they could be, if they wanted to," I said carefully, looking Charlie in the eyes. "But they don't." I could see his face going from red to pale and I added quickly, "I think they can protect me if someone comes looking for me."

"They can?" He sounded sceptical. "You said they weren't magical. And I thought you were safe here."

"They have some kind of magic in them, but they're not like me," I said, carefully avoiding the word "vampire". Before he could say anything I quickly told him about Umbridge's threat.

Charlie stared at me for what seemed like a very long time before he finally spoke again. "I will do everything to keep you safe, Bella." He sounded determined and his voice was surprisingly steady. He looked more like a cop than I'd ever seen him before.

"Thank you, Dad," I said sincerely. I was quite touched.

We finished the dinner without speaking, both of us lost in our own thoughts. I could tell Charlie had lost his appetite for he stood up after several minutes, his plate only half empty. He went to the living room to watch a baseball game on TV and I cleaned the table and went to my room.

* * *

After a good long shower I entered my room, ready to go to bed. It had been quite a long day and I felt exhausted, both physically and emotionally. My legs were a bit sore from yestarday's hiking, since I wasn't used to such long walks even though I hadn't had to walk on our way back.

The moment I switched on my bedside lamp, I heard a soft knock on the window. I frowned. It wasn't usual for Agnes to check on me at this time, she usually hunted at night. I hesitated for a moment but then I grabbed my wand and slowly walked to the window.

" _Lumos_ ," I whispered and my wand lit up. I opened the window and leaned out, stretching my hand with the wand into the darkness. A sudden movement in the branches of the tree in front of my window startled me and I jumped back with a gasp.

"I'm sorry," said a familiar velvet voice and Edward materialized out of the darkness. He was sitting on the thickest branch, covered by twigs.

"What are you doing here?" I hissed at him, pointing my lit wand at his face. "You nearly gave me a heart attack."

"I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." His face was sincere and apologetic. "I didn't have the chance to say a proper good night before."

"Is that all?" I asked sceptically.

"May I come in?" he asked instead of answering me. I sighed and then I extinguished my wand and let him jump into my room. He landed surprisingly quietly.

He looked around my room and his eyes fell on the big cage, that was standing on my desk.

"You have a bird?"

"An owl."

He spun around to face me, his eyes raised. "An owl? That's not a usual pet."

"She's a magical owl. They carry mail," I explained, closing the window. He just nodded, still looking around. I waited for him to tell me the real reason why he was here.

"I was listening to your conversation with Billy Black," he said after a minute. He'd said he would so it didn't surprise me. "And with Charlie." A strange expression crossed his face.

I lifted my hand to stop him and turned to the door, as something had occured to me. Then I pointed my wand at the door and murmured, " _Muffliato_." When I turned back to Edward and saw his confused expression, I explained, "Charlie doesn't have to know I have a male visitor in my room."

"I would hear him coming in time to hide myself in the wardrobe." He smiled and I shrugged.

"So, did I say something I shouldn't have to Charlie?" I asked, feeling a bit anxious.

"Well, you didn't reveal our secret," he said slowly. "But I didn't like the way you downplayed our potential dangerousness."

"You wanted him to ban me from seeing you or what?" I frowned. "And you did say you would protect me, didn't you?"

He sighed and slowly walked to my bed where he sat on the edge of the mattress. "Yes, I can protect you from those Death Eaters," he said, staring at his hands. "But I don't know if I can protect you from myself."

I stood there motionless for a few seconds and then went to sit next to him. "It's still hard for you? Being close to me?"

He turned his head to look at me, his eyes searching for understanding. "It's always easier while I'm with you for a longer period of time. But when I'm away from you, I have to start over again," he admitted. "Not quite from scratch but it still takes some time to ease the – " He didn't finish the sentence but I knew what word he was thinking.

"Don't go away, then," I blurted out before I could stop myself. We both froze and I could feel my cheeks going red. I looked away quickly, embarrassed, biting my lip.

"You want me to stay over?" he said quietly. I didn't see his face but his voice was gentle. I was still feeling too embarrassed to look at him so I just nodded.

"Only if it makes it easier for you," I mumbled.

He reached out his hand and gently touched my chin, turning my head so I would look at him. A very deep emotion stirred in his eyes, so intense that it almost scared me. He leaned closer and stopped only a few inches from my face. I could feel my heart beating as fast as I was just finishing a marathon. I couldn't look away even if I wanted to, which I most definitely didn't. He hesitated and, cautioning me with his eyes so I wouldn't move, he slowly closed the remaining distance between our faces and gently pressed his cold lips on my mouth. It was a very short kiss, taking only for about two seconds, but it was very sweet.

"Thank you," he whispered and for a moment I wondered what he was thanking me for. Then I remembered what we'd been talking about before the kiss and I just nodded. He pulled away slightly and I could see his face was smug.

"What?" My voice was a bit hoarse so I cleared my throat.

"I'm stronger than I thought," he said, visibly pleased with himself. "I wanted to do this for some time but I was afraid that I'd lose control."

I didn't know what to say to that so I just smiled. He put his arm around my shoulders and I leaned against his chest. We sat like that without speaking for several minutes. Then his cold skin made me shiver and he pulled away slightly.

"Sorry," he murmured, looking embarrassed.

"It's okay," I said, looking around for my wand. I took it and waved it over me, murmuring, " _Thermus_ ". A wave of warmth spread over me and I smiled.

"I never get tired of watching you doing magic," he said, sounding amazed.

"I never get tired of showing off." I grinned at him and he laughed. I leaned against his shoulder and his arms embraced me more tightly than before. I didn't feel the cold now which was quite pleasant.

"I wanted to ask you something," I remembered suddenly.

"What?"

"When Billy and Jacob were leaving, Billy said the Quileutes would be watching me," I said. "I wonder what he meant? And what exactly does the treaty between your family and the tribe say?"

Edward sighed, apparently not happy with the turn our conversation had taken. "We are not allowed on their land and they on ours," he finally said. "Also we're not allowed to harm any human."

I was quiet for a while, thinking about what he'd said. I didn't really believe any of the Cullens would harm me or anyone else, on the other hand I didn't know any of them, except Edward, that well, but I was sure that at least Carlisle was safe.

"What are you thinking about?" Edward interrupted my musing, sounding a bit impatient. My silent mind must have been driving him crazy.

"About what the chances are that any of you would harm anyone," I said truthfully. "I suppose Carlisle is safe and you too, since you can control yourself even around me. But what about the others? I think Rosalie is not as good as the rest of you."

"You're wrong." He chuckled. "Rosalie has never tasted human blood. She has much better self-control than me or even Esme."

I lifted my head to look at his face. "Really?"

"Yes." He smiled. "She's very proud of herself. It's Jasper you should worry about. He's the newest to participate in our lifestyle and he's always had trouble resisting human blood." I remembered how Jasper had kept his distance when I was at their home today and shuddered. "He wouldn't dare harm you," Edward assured me. "He knows I would kill him. But try not to cut yourself or something around him, please."

"Okay," I piped in a small voice. I decided not to spend too much time around Jasper, just to be sure. I could feel Edward's lips touching my head and I knew he didn't want me to be scared. I tried to change the subject, though not completely. "So how do the Quileutes know about you?"

To my surprise, Edward laughed. "That's actually part of the treaty too. We can't reveal their secret and they can't reveal ours."

I scowled but wasn't about to give up. "Jacob said something about it, last time he was here."

"What did he say?"

"He told me some of their legends," I said slowly, wondering if I didn't get Jacob in trouble. "One of them said that they came from wolves and that their ancestors could turn into them at will. He thought it was just a legend, as well as the one about "the cold ones" as he called vampires, but since I know that magic and vampires exist, I wonder if that could be true as well."

He was quiet and I was suddenly worried about poor Jacob. Just when I was about to defend him though, Edward spoke. "Sorry Bella, I can't tell you." His tone was definitive and I knew he wouldn't talk about the Quileutes with me anymore.

"Did Jacob violate the treaty?" I asked in a small voice.

"Technically, yes," he said shortly.

"Is he in trouble?"

"You had known about us before you talked to Jacob, so he's lucky." His tone was reserved and I mentally cursed myself for bringing up this subject. Then I yawned involuntarily and he pushed me gently away. "You should go to sleep."

I sighed but didn't argue. I _did_ feel tired. I moved to the upper side of the bed and covered myself with the quilt. "What are you going to do while I sleep?" I asked with curiosity after checking my enchanted Galleon.

"Well, I was thinking…" He hesitated, his eyes on the Galleon. I waited for him to go on. "… that maybe I could look at some of your school books?" I frowned, confused. "I mean from Hogwarts. If you have them here," he clarified.

"Oh," I said and pointed at my school trunk that laid in the corner, in which I had stored all my Hogwarts stuff. "They're in the trunk. You can pick whatever you like."

"Thank you." he smiled and I was glad to see his mood had improved a bit. He went to sit next to me as I was trying to make myself comfortable. "Good night, Bella," he whispered and kissed my forehead.

"Night," I murmured and closed my eyes. The last thing I remembered was his hand holding mine.

* * *

Something cold touched my face. A snowflake? But I felt very warm, wrapped in something soft and heavy. Yet another snowflake landed on my forehead. I raised my hands to cover my face but my wrists were suddenly clasped in something cold and hard.

"Wake up, Bella," a soft velvet voice murmured in my ear.

I opened my eyes and gasped. Edward was lying next to me, an amused expression on his face. I blinked several times before I remembered that I had asked him to stay last night. "What's the time?" I asked, barely managing to suppress a yawn.

"Nearly half past seven," he informed me and finally let go of my wrists. "Charlie's just left."

"What?" I yelped and hurriedly scrambled out of bed. "Why didn't you wake me up sooner?" I located a pair of jeans and a t-shirt that wasn't particularly creased and summoned it with a wave of my wand.

"You were very restless most of the night," he said, watching me trying to smooth out the t-shirt. "I thought you'd need some more sleep."

"Thanks," I said, hurrying to the bathroom to get dressed. I washed my face quickly and ran my fingers through my hair, which I pulled back into a ponytail, not bothering to comb it properly. When I stepped outside the bathroom, fully dressed, I could see Edward waiting for me on the top of the stairs.

"You left," I said, noticing him wearing different clothes than yesterday.

"Of course." He shrugged. „I went home to change my clothes just after Charlie had woken up. Alice would have thrown a tantrum if I wore the same clothes as yesterday." He grinned when he said that and I realised how little I knew his siblings even after yesterday's visit at their house.

We went to the kitchen and I decided to have a bowl of cereal for breakfast, since it took no time to prepare. He looked out of the window while I ate, apparently lost in thoughts. I gulped down the cereals and washed it down with a glass of milk and sent the bowl and the glass over to the kitchen counter. Then I stood up, ready to leave for school. Edward was on his feet in one fluid movement and, taking my hand, led the way out of the kitchen. He handed me my jacket and my school bag which he must have taken downstairs without me noticing.

I didn't bother looking for a key, instead I locked the door with a simple Locking spell. Showing off was quite fun, I had to admit to myself.

"Do you plan your career as a house robber?" He grinned at me, when we were in his car. "I suppose there is a spell which unlocks the door."

"Maybe." I grinned back, fastening the seatbelt. "But it only works on locks not magically protected. But I might think about it if I'm forced to spend the rest of my life in the muggle world. I might practise my thieving skills on your house. I bet there are a few safes full of money somewhere in your basement."

"A few, yeah." He laughed. "I'll ask Emmett to strengthen the security, just in case."

We joked about my possible criminal career for the rest of our journey to school. No one paid us any attention when we crossed the parking lot hand in hand and I was glad that I wasn't in the spotlight anymore. He walked me to my English class and after another light kiss he went to his Spanish.

The morning dragged, partly because I had to pay attention in classes but mostly because I missed Edward. I'd gotten used to being with him almost all the time during the weekend and now I felt anxious when I didn't have the chance to see him at all until lunch. I thought that at least Jessica would provide some distraction in Math due to her chatty nature, but she was uncharacteristically quiet. When I asked her something about homework, her reply was short and she sounded annoyed.

"Is everything okay, Jess?" I asked quietly because the teacher had just arrived.

"Sure." She didn't even look up. After a few minutes though, she turned to me with an angry look on her face. "Actually, no, it's not. We went to the theatre on Saturday, Mike, Lauren, Tyler and I. And you know what? Mike kept whining all the time that it was too bad you weren't there and that Cullen was all wrong for you." She hissed like an angry goose and I looked warily at Mr. Verner who, fortunatelly, was writing something on the blackboard.

"Oh," I whispered, turning back to Jessica. "I'm sorry. I told him to leave me alone. I'm seriously not interested in him."

"I know." She sighed, slightly less angry. "I'm not really mad at _you_."

"I'll talk to him again," I promised. "And if it doesn't help, I bet Edward will be willing to explain it to him."

"Okay, thanks." Jess smiled for the first time. "But don't tell him I complained."

"Okay."

We spent the rest of Math talking about my weekend with Edward. I didn't have to lie, I only left out the few details about magic. By the end of the hour Jessica's mood improved considerably. She even promised to help me with Math, since, unlike me, she was good at it.

At lunch I went to sit with Edward again. He'd been waiting for me outside the Art classroom again and now he moved the tray full of food in front of me, as usual. At the moment, Angela approached us, this time with a slight smile on her face.

"Hello you two," she greeted us, looking more cheerful than ever before. "My mom wanted me to tell you that she'd talked to her brother and he agreed to teach you," she told me and then turned to Edward. "And she would like to meet with your family today at six, if it's alright."

"That's great, thanks." I beamed at her already looking forward to the lessons.

"Yes, that suits us," said Edward. "We thought today would be best, too."

She said she would come with her mother and then she walked back to her usual table where she sat with Jess, Tyler, Mike, and a girl called Lauren, who I never really talked to but I always felt she didn't like me much.

"So, you want me to talk to Newton?" Edward asked with an excited expression.

I rolled my eyes. "Only if I fail convincing him that I'm not interested in him." I should have known he would be listening.

"I sort of wish you failed." He grinned. I shook my head and took a sandwich from the tray.

* * *

Before I had the chance to think of a way to approach Mike about my relationship with Edward, he came to me just after I'd said goodbye to Edward after Biology.

"Hi, Bella," he said, trying to sound nonchalantly. "How was your weekend?" Before I had the chance to say anything he went on. "Listen, I was wondering if you didn't want to have dinner with me?"

I stared at him in disbelief. "What?"

"You heard me," he said with a cocky smile. "We can go to the movies later."

"Mike," I began and then took a deep breath. "I don't want to have dinner with you." He wanted to say something but I put up my hand to stop him. "Sorry, but I'm not interested in you and if you don't stop bothering me, I'll let Edward explain it to you another way. He would be only too happy to do it." I waited to see if the threat sank into him and when I saw his face going pale, I smiled with satisfaction and walked away.


	16. Meetings

**Chapter sixteen**

We arrived at the Cullen house, where the meeting with Mrs. Weber was supposed to take place, shortly before six. Edward had kept his promise of tutoring me so we had studied Biology and English in the afternoon. He was a really good teacher, though it shouldn't have suprised me. I'd left a note for Charlie, telling him where I went and that dinner was in the fridge.

The moment Edward opened the front door for me, Esme was there, taking my hand and leading me to the kitchen. I heard Edward chuckle behind us.

"Finally," she said with a slightly manic expression on her face. We stopped in front of the kitchen table. Apparently Esme had prepared some refreshment including sandwiches, coffee, a few cans of soda, and a tray of cookies. "Could you please try them, Bella?" She pointed at the cookies. "I wanted to make a good impression so I made them but I can't taste human food," she explained. She spoke rapidly so I had to concentrate to catch everything. "Alice said that they would like them but what if she just wanted to spare my feelings?"

"Of course." I smiled and took a bite of a cookie from the tray. It tasted surprisingly good and I was glad I could be honest with her. "They're really good, Esme. Alice didn't lie."

"Thank you, sweetheart." She beamed at me and I was sure she would have blushed if she could.

The others were gathered in the living room, talking softly that I couldn't hear them. We went to join them and just when I was about to sit in one of the armchairs, Alice jumped to her feet and wrapped her arms around my neck, surprising me.

"It's so good to see you again, Bella." She beamed at me. I could see Emmett snicker behind her back and Rosalie rolled her eyes. Jasper smiled politely at me, keeping his distance again. I remembered what Edward had said last night and shuddered internally.

"It's good to see you too, Alice," I said, smiling too and hugged her back. She seemed to be very spontaneous and I liked it.

We barely sat down when there was a loud crack outside the house, which made all of the Cullens jump.

"They're here." I smiled, recognizing the sound. They all looked puzzled but a few seconds later the door bell rang.

Carlisle went to open the door. I could hear voices from the hall and shortly after that Carlisle showed Mrs. Weber and Angela in the living room. Mrs. Weber looked wary, though she put a polite smile on her face when Carlisle introduced her to the rest of the family, except for me and Edward. Esme then hurried to the kitchen and brought the tray with the refreshment, which she placed on the coffee table. Mrs. Weber looked surprised but her expression relaxed a bit.

"Maybe we should move to the dining room," Carlisle suggested, seeing how crowded the living room had become. We all moved to the dining room then and sat at the long table, on which Esme placed her cookies.

"So," started Carlisle, who was sitting at the head of the long table and was speaking to Mrs. Weber, who sat opposite him, "you wished to meet us so we could discuss your conditions over us knowing about the existence of magical people." Mrs. Weber nodded and Carlisle continued. "Bella told the rest of my family yesterday, I hope you don't mind. We thought it would be easier."

"I thought she would," said Mrs. Weber calmly, "that's why I wanted to meet as soon as possible." I felt my cheeks going red but she didn't look at me.

"What are your conditions then?" asked Carlisle, sounding very formal. "I suppose one of them is keeping your existence secret from non-magical people?"

"Of course." Mrs. Weber nodded, "but I don't think there is any danger of it since you have your own secret to keep." She paused, pulling a sheaf of papers out of her handbag. "I informed the Magical Congress of your knowledge of our kind and I was instructed to ask you to fill in and sign these forms." She pushed the papers into the middle of the table and Jasper handed them to Carlisle, who took them and skimmed through them with his curious eyes. "The Congress wants to keep a record of your coven for future generations to avoid any misunderstanding," she explained to the rest of us.

"What will the _Congress_ do with it?" asked Rosalie in a reserved tone. "It sounds like we are going to be under some kind of supervision." It was clear from their expressions that the others agreed with her. Only Carlisle looked thoughtful rather than upset.

"You have been monitored since you moved in Forks," Mrs. Weber reminded them sternly. "And you know very well why. It's not usual for vampires to form such big covens, nor to go and live among humans. And it doesn't matter that you feed on animals."

"Mrs. Weber is right," said Jasper, looking at Rosalie. "We are still dangerous. We don't have to like it but it's necessary. Especially now, when we interact with humans more than ever before." He glanced at me and Edward.

"Thank you," said Mrs. Weber, nodding at Jasper and then her eyes drifted to Carlisle. "I think you should add your Gifts as well." She gestured toward the papers. "Just in case."

"Alright," said Carlisle and handed out the papers to the other vampires. "Alice, go and fetch some pens, please." Alice was half-way to the stairs before Carlisle finished his request. She was back in what seemed like five seconds with several pens in her small hand and passed them out to the others at lightning speed.

"You still didn't tell us what the Congress will do about us," said Rosalie stubbornly. She was leaning back in her chair with arms across her chest.

Mrs. Weber sighed. "Nothing at all, Miss Hale. If you don't give us a reason to intervene, you can go on living your life like before. We only ask you to inform us when you decide to move somewhere else."

It looked like Rosalie wanted to say more but then thought better of it. She just nodded curtly and relaxed her position. Since no one had anything else to say, they all filled in the forms in a very short time and handed them back to Mrs. Weber.

"Good," said Mrs. Weber and stuck the papers back to her handbag. "There is another matter I'd like to discuss with you. It's about the treaty between your family and the nearby Quileute tribe."

I could hear Edward inhale sharply next to me and the others looked at Mrs. Weber in surprise.

"You know about the treaty?" asked Carlisle.

"Of course. My family has lived here for almost a hundred and fifty years. My grandfather met with the tribe elders shortly after you'd signed the treaty."

"So the Quileutes know about us," I said, surprised.

"I don't think so," said Mrs. Weber, slowly shaking her head. "Even though they have some kind of magic in them, they are still ordinary humans when there are no vampires in this area. After the Cullens left, they had no reason for keeping the shape shifting gene active and they stopped changing into wolves. My grandfather then made sure that their elders wouldn't remember anything about us."

"So he wiped their memory?" I frowned. That didn't seem right. I saw Alice's eyes widen and her expression became thoughtful.

"Modified," Mrs. Weber corrected me. "And it was necessary. We can't allow any kind of suspicion." She then paused and looked at me with a sudden realisation. "I take it you are familiar with the tribal magic, Bella?"

"Yes, but Jacob thought it was just a legend," I said without thinking. Then I hesitated and, seeing their confused expressions, I explained to the others about the friendship between my family and the Blacks.

"So he violated the treaty," said Rosalie angrily.

"It wasn't very wise of the boy to talk about it like that," said Carlisle with a frown but then he shook his head. "But I don't think we should consider it as violating the treaty, since Bella had already known about us."

"Maybe we should remind him to not blab about it," said Emmett excitedly. Rosalie nodded fervently. I mentally kicked myself for not being quiet.

"The child clearly thinks it's just a legend," said Carlisle patiently. "It would be _us_ violating the treaty if we admitted the legends were true."

Rosalie wanted to say something but Emmett, who apparently didn't want to argue further, put his hand on her shoulder so she would calm down. She gritted her teeth but didn't say anything.

"If we could return to the matter I wanted to discuss," said Mrs. Weber impatiently and, after making sure that everyone paid her attention, she went on. "You've been back in Forks for two years. The shape-shifting gene should be activated by now. Do you have any information about it?"

"I'm afraid we don't," said Carlisle. "When we arrived in Forks, we met with Billy Black to reestablish the treaty. We haven't heard from them since then."

"Well, in this case I'd like to inform you, that there is at least one active shape-shifter that we know of. And it's very likely there will be more."

"So you've been monitoring the Quileutes too?" I said, surprised.

"Of course." Mrs. Weber paused, apparently guessing the intention behind my question. "Every magical being and creature is monitored by magical goverments, Bella. It's for our protection and also for the protection of all non magical people."

I knew she was right but I still felt it was somehow unfair to those magical beings that didn't know about our existence especially when there were others, like werewolves or merpeople, that clearly knew about us. But I didn't feel like arguing about it now so I just nodded and let Mrs. Weber continue.

"I must ask you, in case you met again with the tribe, to not tell them about us, except for very serious circumstances." She then looked at me. "And the same goes for you, of course, since you are friends with the Blacks."

"You know I wouldn't do that," I said, frowning. I knew the law and even if I didn't agree with some details, I wasn't about to break it.

"What if there were serious circumstances?" asked Edward, who had been suspiciously quiet the whole time.

"Then I'd like to know about it first," Mrs. Weber said. "But I believe you, unlike Bella, are not very friendly with the Quileutes so the chances are small."

After Carlisle agreed that they wouldn't tell the Quileutes anything, Mrs. Weber glanced at Angela, who had been enjoying Esme's cookies while we were talking. "I think that would be all," she said, rising from her chair. Angela smiled at Esme and, thanking her for the refreshment, she got up too.

The rest of us got up too and I stretched my stiffened legs. Esme immediately cleaned up the table and then joined Carlisle who was walking the Webers to the front door. I and Edward followed them.

"Bella," said Mrs. Weber, now standing in the hall, "I nearly forgot to tell you about your new teacher."

"Oh, right, Angela said you'd found someone," I remembered. I nearly forgot too.

"Yes. My brother had originally offered his help but then he remembered his friend who is exactly the right man for the job," she explained with a smile and her face looked much younger. "He used to be an auror but now works as an apparating instructor. He agreed to teach you."

"That's great." I beamed. "When can we start?"

"He agreed to meet you on Wednesday at six." Then she paused for a few seconds. "You'll have to find a good place for your training, though. A large clearing with no or little chance of no-majs accidentally seeing you."

"They can do it here," piped up Alice. She was standing right behind me and had been so quiet that I hadn't noticed her. "We have quite a large clearing behind our house and I would see if someone was about to come for a visit. But no one usually comes here anyway." She grimaced.

"Wouldn't you mind?" I asked Carlisle and Esme excitedly. I loved the idea.

"Not at all," said Carlisle with a smile. "I'm sure some of us will find watching you doing magic very interesting."

"Hell yeah!" shouted Emmett from somewhere in the house. I could see that Edward looked excited too.

"That's settled then," said Mrs. Weber, smiling. "I'll send him to your house first, Bella, he's never been here so he won't be able to apparate. You can take him here in your car."

"Okay."

After that, Mrs. Weber and Angela said goodbye and took a few steps into the front yard. Then Mrs. Weber took Angela's hand and they turned on the spot and with a loud pop they disappeared.

* * *

I spent Tuesday concentrating on muggle school subjects. I was still behind the others, though thanks to Edward I was getting better. I was already beginning to regret starting the school until Edward reminded me, that we probably wouldn't have met and I wouldn't have known the Webers. He was right, of course. Still I saw the school as a big waste of time since I should have concentrated on more important things.

"You need this as a distraction," said Edward patiently after I'd complained again. We were sitting at our kitchen table, which was covered with Biology books and other school materials. „You can't think about Britain all the time."

"I can think of hundreds of better distractions than this," I grumbled. I needed to sort out the books I would need to show my new magic teacher tomorrow and then there was Edward sitting next to me and holding my hand under the table, who was a very good distraction as well.

"I'm sure you can," he said with a smile. "But it would look very suspicious if you left the school only a month after you'd started it."

"I could tell I'm moving back to my mother." I shrugged.

"Then you would have to be shut in the house the whole time."

"Couldn't I go to your house too?" I teased.

"Yes, but you wouldn't be able to go into the town."

"I wouldn't mind," I argued.

"Bella." He sighed, rolling his eyes. "You have to keep appearances, not create more lies." I knew he was right but I still scowled stubbornly at the Biology textbook.

We continued our study session until Charlie got home. He was pleased when I told him that Edward was tutoring me but I noticed that he wasn't as friendly to him as before. Apparently he'd taken Billy Black's words seriously because he kept watching Edward's every move. Edward pretented he hadn't noticed and politely refused Charlie's equally polite offer to stay for dinner. I fought the urge to roll my eyes.

Edward then left, quietly promising to come back later tonight to spend another night in my room, and I had dinner with Charlie. I told him about my new teacher of magic and that I would spend more time at the Cullens. He sighed quietly but didn't say anything. After dinner he went to the living room to watch a baseball game on TV.

* * *

Wednesday dragged more than I thought possible. I couldn't wait to start my magic lessons so I was nearly bouncing on my seat with excitement and impatience in Biology. Edward squeezed my hand under the desk to calm me down. I even thought about skipping Gym but he didn't want to hear about it and I knew that with Alice in the school I didn't have a chance of trying to sneak out of the building.

When the school was finally over, Edward drove me home in his Volvo. The rest of the Cullens still used Rosalie's car which, according to Edward, somewhat improved her mood. Apparently she liked drawing attention to herself. She was still reserved toward me but at least she no longer glared at me.

I did my homework as quickly as possible with Edward's help and then I went to my room to fetch all my magical books I'd sorted out last night before Edward had returned to my room. All my Defence against the Dark Arts books lay on the top of the pile I magically maneuvered down the stairs and into the kitchen. I placed the books on the table, avoiding Edward's curious look.

"I thought you wanted to learn advanced magic," he said matter-of-factly. "These look like you want to learn how to defend yourself in a fight."

I knew that with Edward's family watching my training, I had no chance of keeping my true intention secret. And I knew that Edward wouldn't like it. Even in the short time we'd known each other I noticed his overprotective nature, especially when I was involved. I still tried to downplay it though.

"Defence against the Dark Arts is a standard subject at Hogwarts," I said, mirroring his tone, and sat down in one of the chairs. "I want to learn it the same way as I want to learn Transfiguration or Charms."

"There are six Defence books and only two of Transfiguration and one of Charms," he pointed out, glancing at the names of the books.

"We usually had bad Defence teachers." I shrugged. "It wouldn't hurt to go through the spells one more time." There were only two really bad Defence teachers in my years at Hogwarts but he didn't need to know that detail.

"Bella, don't insult my intelligence, please," he nearly growled, looking at me with narrowed eyes. "Alice saw you fighting, remember?" I shuddered under his stare but I crossed my arms across my chest. I did remember what he'd told me about Alice's vision but I didn't think he would attach importance to it.

"Okay," I said with a sigh. "If I have a chance, I want to go back and fight." I watched him defiantly with my arms still crossed.

"It's dangerous," he said quietly.

"I know." I heard his teeth grit but at the same moment car brakes could be heard on the driveway. I looked out of the window and saw Charlie getting out of his cruiser. He was home early but I was glad I didn't have to argue with Edward any longer.

"Don't tell Charlie, please," I hissed at him when I heard the front door open. Edward stared at me, his face expressionless.

"Hey, kids," said Charlie, entering the kitchen. Edward nodded toward him with a polite smile but his eyes were hard. Fortunately Charlie didn't notice.

"Hi, Dad," I said with a smile. "You're home early."

"Yeah, I wanted to meet your new teacher," Charlie said, shrugging and walked to the fridge to grab a beer. "Are you going to make dinner or should I order something?"

"I'll make something," I said, suppressing a sigh and got up to check out the fridge for the bottomless suply of fish.

I worked in silence, preparing fish sandwiches. I was thinking about learning more fish recipes because we'd had sandwiches three times in the last week, so I wasn't paying attention to the conversation between Edward and Charlie.

" _What?!"_ Charlie's loud voice startled me and I nearly dropped the knife I was holding. I turned to look at the two of them and saw Edward sitting with his arms crossed and determined look on his face. Charlie was looking at me with a furious expression. "Is that true, Bella?" He saw my confusion so he added: "Do you want to fight?"

I slowly turned back to the sandwiches, unable to look at them. "Yes," I said quietly.

"That is suicide, Bella. I won't allow it." I heard he was fighting to keep his voice from shouting.

"I'm sorry, Dad," I said, turning back to face them again. There was a slight smirk on Edward's face but I decided to deal with him later. "But I have to."

"No, you don't. You're safe here."

"I'm not safe!" I said, rising my voice. "Didn't you listen to me? They are looking for me! I have to go back and fight for my freedom or I will spend the rest of my life in hiding."

"You're seventeen, Bella. You're a kid, not a soldier!" Charlie couldn't control his anger any longer. He got up, clenching his fists and his face turned red.

"I'm of age," I said through gritted teeth. "And I was in two battles before. Besides, my friends in Britain face the danger all the time. Not even Hogwarts is safe anymore. There are two new teachers and I bet they are either Death Eaters or at least You-Know-Who's sympathizers and the new Headmaster is a murderer." I took a deep breath, trying not to imagine what was happening in Hogwarts. "For all I know they might be torturing the children as a punishment for breaking rules." I watched Charlie's face turn white now. "Dad, there might not be a battle at all. Maybe Harry will find a way to kill You-Know-Who soon and everything will be okay. But I have to be ready just in case I'm needed."

Charlie was standing there for quite a long while in silence. I could see he calmed down a bit after a minute or so, so I continued more calmly. "You're a policeman, Dad. You can't just look when bad things happen, you fight them. I guess I'm like you a bit."

"You are my only child, Bella," he said quietly but with resignation. "Do you have any idea what it would do to me if you died?"

I felt like there was a lump in my throat. Charlie rarely expressed his emotions to me and it made me feel terrible now, when I realised what pain it would cause him if something happened to me. I put down the knife I had been holding and crossed the short distance between us. "I know," I said and hugged him. "And I will do everything I can to prevent that."

"But you still want to fight." He sighed, holding me tightly.

"Yes."

Charlie sighed again but I knew I won _this_ battle. I glanced at Edward whose lips were pressed in a tight line. Apparently it didn't go as he'd planned. I fought the urge to smirk at him. I was pretty mad. He'd betrayed me and I wasn't about to forgive that easily.

When Charlie finally let me go, I finished the sandwiches and put them in the fridge. Just then there was a loud crack outside and a few seconds later the doorbell rang.


	17. Teacher

**Chapter seventeen**

The man that was standing on the porch was tall and thin in extreme. He looked quite young, probably in his late twenties and his hair was coal black and tied up in a short ponytail. He was dressed in a black travelling cloak.

"Hello," he said cheerfully after I opened the door. "I'm Tobias Jackson. Amelia Weber sent me here to teach a young woman a few tricks. It must be you, right? Bella, if I remember correctly." His eyes then darted up to something behind me. I'd heard the heavy footsteps that had just stopped and knew that he was looking at Charlie. "And Mr. Swan, I suppose?" He added with the same cheerful grin and extended his hand.

Both Charlie and I nodded and Charlie shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, sir," he said politely. "Please, come in." He opened the door wide to let Mr. Jackson in. I stepped back a bit and after he was inside I closed the door again.

"Please, call me Toby," he said, looking around the hall. His eyes stopped at Edward, who was standing in the kitchen doorway with his arms crossed. Toby's eyes narrowed slightly but then his expression cleared. "Of course, you are one of the… _friends_ I was told about." I noticed his hesitation and was glad he didn't use the word he'd clearly meant to say. He took a few steps and shook Edward's hand without hesitation. I could see Edward was taken aback by it but he quickly composed his face and introduced himself.

"You look young for a teacher," said Charlie, taking in Toby's appearance.

"Oh, I'm not really a teacher," Toby said with a light laugh. "I only teach apparating so I'm more of an instructor." He shrugged. "And I'm a bit older than I look. But I have some experience that may be useful for your daughter." Then he looked at me and clapped his hands once. "So, Bella, I thought I would have a look at some of your materials from your school, if you have them here. If you could - "

"They're in the kitchen," I interrupted him, waving my hand in the direction of our kitchen. "I already sorted out the ones I thought were important."

"Oh." He looked surprised but pleased. "That's great." He walked in the kitchen and skimmed through the pile of books on the table. "Good, good," he muttered under his breath. "I think they will do. I have some books of my own and then there are things you won't find in any of them." His tone became a bit darker in the end but then he straightened up and smiled at Charlie's worried expression. "Don't worry, Mr. Swan, your daughter is in good hands."

"I really hope so," said Charlie gruffly. He apparently still wasn't very happy about me wanting to learn how to fight but he knew he could do nothing about it.

"I'll carry them, if you don't mind." Toby smiled at me and then revealed a bag which had been hidden under his cloak. He placed it on the table and opened it. Then he pulled out a wand, waved it and the books flew into the bag, which had to have some kind of enlarging spell on it because they fit in the smaller bag without a problem. I wasn't surprised, I had seen spells like that in the past, but Charlie's eyes widened for a second before he quickly regained a mildly interested expression. I glanced at Edward; he had his arms still crossed and his face looked expressionless.

We said goodbye to Charlie – I had to promise that I wouldn't be late – and then we walked to Edward's car. Toby looked very excited. "I've never ridden in this," he admitted. Edward broke his carefully arranged emotionless look and chuckled.

"You can sit in the passenger seat," I offered. I was still angry with Edward and didn't feel like sitting next to him right now.

"That would be great, thanks." Toby smiled at me. Edward threw me a confused look but didn't say anything and got in the car.

"You don't use cars at MACUSA?" I asked Toby when I climbed into the back seat. "The British Ministry uses them sometimes, with slight magical improvements."

"Well, there are a few cars at the Congress, some people use them when they need to blend in among no-majs. I just never needed it for my job." He shrugged, his eyes on the dashboard.

It would have been a very quiet ride if it wasn't for Toby's excitement. He was astonished by the way muggles traveled and couldn't believe they invented all this without magic. Edward tried to explain how the car works but he was being constantly interrupted by Toby's questions. I leaned back in my seat and listened to their conversation with an amused smile.

"Toby?" I said, when there were a few seconds of silence. He turned his head to look at me and I went on. "How did you know where I lived? I thought you couldn't apparate to the places you've never been to." It had been bothering me since he arrived into our house.

"Angela went with me to a spot where your house is visible from the distance," he explained. "I apparated from there."

"Why didn't she come with you?" I asked. I really thought she would.

"She had to look after the twins," he said. "But she said she would come next time."

Edward had parked the car in front of the Cullen house by the time we finished talking. Alice and Jasper were waiting for us on the porch; Alice was bouncing on her feet.

"Finally!" she squealed and jumped down the stairs to meet us. Jasper just shook his head in amusement but stayed on the porch. "Nice to meet you, Toby Jackson. I'm Alice and this is my husband Jasper," she babbled excitedly. She waved her hand in Jasper's direction while she talked and then shook hands with a shocked Toby. Then an understanding crossed his face.

"Oh, you're the one who can see the future, aren't you?" he said, smiling, while Alice proceeded to hug me and Edward.

"Yes, yes!" Alice clapped her hands excitedly. "It's going to be so interesting!"

"Let them breathe, Alice," said Esme disapprovingly from the front door where she'd appeared with Carlisle. They too walked toward us to greet Toby and introduce themselves.

I could see Emmett and Rosalie approaching us from around the corner of the house. It seemed like Emmett's huge grin was permanently glued to his face but Rosalie didn't look very happy. Edward had explained to me, after the Monday meeting with Mrs. Weber, that she no longer believed I would tell their secret but she still didn't like me. He wouldn't tell me why, though. " _It's her right to tell you, not mine,"_ he'd said.

After the necessary introductions I was about to go to the clearing behind their house but Toby had different plans in his mind. "We should discuss what you need to learn first," he said. "Also I'd like to know more about your skills."

I felt a slight dissapointment, I was eager to learn how to fight, but it didn't lower Alice's excitement so I supposed it would be at least a bit interesting. We all went inside into the living room and seated ourselves into the couch and armchairs. Alice looked quite comfortable sitting on the floor, leaning against Jasper's legs. Edward sat on the arm of my chair again while Toby took a seat on the couch opposite me.

"So, Bella," he began, looking directly into my eyes, "what year are you supposed to be now? I saw you owned sixth year books…"

"Yes, this was supposed to be my sixth year."

"Right." He nodded. "Since I'm not familiar with Hogwarts curriculum, could you give me an idea what you were supposed to learn? So I wouldn't have to go through your books."

"Well, I looked into them and there is a lot about non-verbal magic…" I trailed off.

"Hm," he said, frowning slightly. "And did you learn anything about non-verbal magic in the past?"

"No."

"Hm," he said again, still frowning. "That complicates things a bit. I hoped you would know at least the basics. You know, you can't learn how to apparate without knowing how non-verbal magic works." I felt a sting of disappointment at his words but I knew he was right. It seemed logical. Toby smiled when he saw my expression and went on. "Non-verbal magic is not easy but when you get the gist, it gets easier. And it's a great advantage in fights. Can you guess why?"

I felt like I was in school but the answer seemed obvious. "The opponent doesn't know which spell you're about to cast."

"Exactly," he said, nodding. "And you do want to be able to defend yourself, don't you?"

I nodded.

"Now, tell me about your strenghts," he continued. "What are you good at? I need to know so we can work with it and expand it as much as possible."

I frowned, thinking. "Well, my Shield charm is quite strong," I began. "And I think I'm quite good at Transfiguration and Charms. But I don't see how _that_ would help me in a fight." I bit my lip, frowning at my slip. I hadn't told Toby I'd like to learn how to fight.

"Oh, on the contrary, it can be very useful in fights." He smiled. He didn't seem to care about my true intentions. Or maybe he'd expected it all along. "Especially Transfiguration is very often used in duels. But you said that you have a strong Shield charm. I'd like to see that."

I jumped from my chair and Edward led us all to the back door. Through the glass I could see a large clearing surrounded by a forest of tall trees. It was perfect. I smiled up at him and his lips twitched in amusement.

"This is perfect," Toby voiced my thoughts when he stepped into the clearing. The Cullens remained standing behind while I and Toby walked further into the middle of the huge grassy circle. Then he stopped and pointed to a spot he wanted me to stand. I obeyed and went about ten steps further and then turned to face him. Then I pulled my wand out of my jeans pocket and clutched it tightly in my hand.

"Now, I'm going to try to disarm you and you'll try to block it with the Shield." He pulled out his wand faster than I could blink and shouted, " _Expelliarmus_!"

" _Protego_!" I barely had time to react but was relieved that his spell bounced off of the transparent barrier that had shot out of my wand. I was proud of my Shield, it was the only spell I'd managed to learn as quickly as Hermione Granger when we practiced it in our secret lessons with the Dumbledore's Army.

"That was very good, Bella." He smiled, nodding in approval. "Of course the Death Eaters wouldn't give you a warning but it's good to know you have fast reflexes." I blushed at his compliment and lifted the spell. So he had guessed right that I wanted to go back to Britain and fight. I didn't think I'd been that obvious.

It was getting dark so Toby conjured two big balls of light that he sent hovering above the clearing. I chuckled at the astonishment in the faces of the Cullens but then I quickly returned my attention to Toby.

"I wonder how strong your Shield is," he said, looking thoughtful. He glanced at the Cullens and I saw Alice bouncing in excitement and Edward frowning.

"I volunteer," squeeled Alice and flashed toward Toby.

"Alice, no," growled Edward but she completely ignored him.

"Would you mind telling us what are you on about?" said Emmett, annoyed.

"You can just tell us the outcome, there's no need for demonstration," Edward went on, ignoring Emmett.

"But where's the fun in that?" Alice stuck her tongue at him and then looked up at Toby in anticipation. Edward sighed but stopped arguing.

"Um, I really wouldn't mind some explanation," I said, shifting my weight nervously.

Toby had watched the bickering between Alice and Edward in amusement and now he finally turned to me and started explaining. "The best way to test your shield is to let something or someone really strong try to crash into you. A strong Shield should be able to fend it off."

"You want her to crash into me?" I repeated slowly, incredulously. I could hear a mixture of excitement and worry among the Cullens.

"Oh, come on, Bella. I wouldn't hurt you, would I?" said Alice impatiently, rolling her eyes. I glanced at Edward who had his eyes fixed on Alice and his hands were clutched in fists. That didn't really calm my nerves.

Toby stepped aside, making room for Alice. "Get your Shield ready, Bella!" he said loudly. I conjured the Shield, relieved that I could do it _before_ Alice started running. Toby then turned to Alice. "Three, two, one, go!"

Alice was a blur to my eyes but she never got to me. She crashed into the invisible barrier and bending it slightly, she bounced off and landed elegantly on her feet right in the middle between me and Toby. I sighed in relief, earning murmurs of appreciation and even some whistles from the audience.

"Very good, Bella," said Toby. "Now, I don't think there would be any vampires on the enemy side but just out of curiosity, I wonder if your Shield can resist even bigger force." While he was speaking, I could hear a furious hissing noise and when I turned my head toward it, I saw Edward glaring at Toby, who was now looking at Emmett.

"You can't be serious," said Edward angrily. "He will crush her into dust!" I, for once, could see his point. Emmett was huge. Even Esme and Carlisle were looking at him uncomfortably now and Alice was eying me and Emmett uncertainly. Only Jasper looked curious. Rosalie was leaning against the wall, looking like she wouldn't care if Emmett _did_ crush me into dust.

Emmett, on the other hand, stretched his lips into even wider grin. "Sounds like fun!" He laughed and strode toward Toby. I gulped, trying to think of a way to strengthen my Shield. I could think of nothing.

"I'm not sure this is a good idea," I admitted over Edward's growling. He was now standing next to Emmett, holding his arm.

"Relax, little brother," boomed Emmett, winking at me and shaking off Edward's hand. Jasper was there too now, placing his hand on Edward's shoulder and suddenly his face looked much calmer. But his eyes remained wary. I wasn't nervous anymore, on the other hand, I felt calm and it was somehow easier to concentrate.

"Do try not to crush her," said Toby to Emmett and then he turned to me. "Focus on your Shield, Bella."

My Shield was still active, I could feel the slight vibration of my wand. I tried to strengthen it with my mind but I had no idea how it worked. Before I could think of anything else, I heard Toby counting and then saw a lot bigger blur throwing at me. Emmett cut through the Shield like it wasn't even there and then I felt two huge iron arms lifting me off the ground and bringing me down. I didn't feel any pain, his grasp was strong but gentle at the same time.

"Wo-hoooo!" Emmett yelled in my ear so loudly that it hurt. He eased his grasp and I was able to stand up. My legs were shaking a little but other than that I was okay.

"Are you alright?" said Edward, who had darted to me in a speed of light.

"Sure," I said and then I frowned. "I guess my Shield has its limits."

"Well, we can work on that," said Toby, who was now walking toward us. "When you are able to do non-verbal magic, it will be easier to control all your spells. The more you concentrate, the stronger the spells are."

"Can we do it again?" asked Emmett excitedly and I nodded in agreement.

"Not tonight," said Toby, shaking his head. "It's late and I have to go home. But I give you your first homework, Bella." I lifted my eyebrows, curious. "You will exercise your mind. Every night before sleep, you will try to empty it. Think of nothing at all. Then when you have time during the day, I want you to concentrate on only one thing at the time. Really concentrate and ignore any kind of distractions." It didn't seem that hard and Toby must have seen the doubt on my face. "It's not as easy as you think. The brain takes in all your surrounding even when you think you're focusing on one thing. You still hear the noises and are aware of the things around you. I want you to ignore them so you wouldn't even know they're there."

"Okay," I said slowly.

"Good." He smiled and went to get his cloak which he had taken off and put aside.

"When is another lesson?" I asked, while walking inside the house with the Cullens.

"I'm busy for the rest of the week but I'm free on the weekend," he said with a thoughtful expression. "What about Saturday afternoon?"

"Sounds good," I said, nodding.

* * *

After Toby disapparated, Edward drove me home. I felt tired so I spent the journey looking out the window in silence. It was dark outside so I couldn't see much but I didn't mind. I was trying to think of nothing like Toby had said. It wasn't easy, especially when I was very aware of Edward sitting next to me. He didn't talk but I could feel his eyes on me every now and then.

When we arrived to Charlie's house and I was about to climb out of the car, I felt Edward's hand touching my arm. "Can I come into your room again?" he asked quietly. I turned to look at him and his eyes were pleading.

"If you want to," I said with a sigh and got out of the car.

Charlie was still up, watching some game on the TV.

"So, how did it go?" he asked eagerly as soon as I walked into the living room.

"Quite well, I think," I said, shrugging. "I didn't learn anything new tonight, though." I told him briefly about my first lesson with Toby and then I went to my room.

Edward was already there, sitting in the rocking chair. I just grabbed my pajamas and the toilet bag and without a word went to the bathroom. Thanks to Toby I had almost forgotten that I was angry with him but now the anger returned. I was glad he was here though because I needed to get a few things straight. While I was taking the shower, I was mulling over everything I wanted to tell him.

He was still in the same spot when I got back to my room. I put away my toilet bag and turned to face him with my arms crossed.

"So?" I started, looking at him significantly.

"So what?" He raised his eyebrow, confused.

I sighed. "Wouldn't you like to apologize?"

"Apologize for what?" he said and pressed his lips into an angry line.

"For telling Charlie I wanted to fight, of course!" I hissed angrily. "I think I asked you not to do that!" I nearly shouted at that point but then I realised that Charlie was downstairs and quickly cast Muffliato on the door.

"He had the right to know." He sounded quite calm but his voice was cold.

"I would have told him when the time was right. I wanted to prepare him for it first." I saw his face turn from angry to sad and added in a calmer tone. "I know you hoped he would keep me from fighting. But please, Edward, I need you to understand." I crossed the room toward him and kneeled down beside the chair, taking his hand. "I don't want to fight with you. I need your support. I know you don't like this and I don't like it either but I have to be ready to go and help my friends if they need me. I can't sit here doing nothing, knowing they have to fight for their lives."

He sighed and carefully pulled me onto his lap, still holding my hand. "Bella," he said in a quiet voice, closing his eyes. "I had been waiting for you for nearly a hundred years. I can't lose you now." His tone was serious, pleading. When he opened his eyes again, I could see in them how old he really was. I repeated his words in my head and was afraid to really believe it. When I didn't speak, he sighed and went on, still in the same quiet voice. "Maybe you don't understand what you really mean to me." He looked directly into my eyes. "What do you know about vampire love, Bella?"

I stared at him for a few seconds. "Well, I heard about it," I admitted in whisper. "It's for life."

"For eternity, actually," he corrected me with a sad smile.

"So, what are you trying to tell me?" I said slowly. My heart was beating so fast I was afraid it might jump out of my chest. I didn't even dare to think about his next words.

"You know I am frozen in this body forever. I will forever have the nature and temper of a teenager. I can't change, neither physically nor emotionally. The one exception is when I find someone who I can't imagine my life without. That someone is you, Bella."

I blinked a few times, trying to comprehend everything he'd just told me. "So, you are in love with me?" I finally managed to whisper.

"It's more than that. It's something I can't even explain properly without terrifying you," he said with a sheepish smile but then he turned serious again. "Of course, I can't force you into a relationship with a crazy, overprotective and very dangerous vampire. Actually, it would be better for _you_ to stay away from me. I just can't stay away from you. But I can try, if you tell me to leave you alone. I will understand. I can try and leave."

"No!" I blurted out fervently. "I don't want you to leave. You said you would protect me, remember?" It was more than just the need for protection but I didn't know how to say what I felt. I knew it was unfair to him when he'd just basically declared his love, or whatever it was he felt, for me. I just wasn't good at expressing my emotions.

A strange expression crossed his face but then he smiled slightly. "You're right. I promised." Then he frowned. "But you obviously don't want it if you're planning to go and get yourself killed." He looked stern again, his eyes hard.

I sighed. It looked like we were going to have a lot to talk about in the near future.


	18. Pictures

**A/N: Hey! I'm back! I know, it's been two months again. But I will get better, I promise. Anyway, nothing really important happens in this chapter and all of you, who are desperately waiting for some action, will have to wait a little longer. But we're getting close to a first real action, don't worry. But first, let's Edward and Bella have some time together :)**

 **Enjoy!**

Chapter eighteen

When Edward's light kiss on my forehead woke me up the next morning, I realised I hadn't practiced emptying my mind as Toby had told me to. I sighed and scrambled out of the bed. Edward wished me a good morning and went home to change his clothes.

Last night we had agreed to call our little disagreement an impasse. Neither of us felt like giving in but we both knew that it wasn't the end. We would continue arguing about it and I was determined to make him see my point. There was nothing he could do to keep me from going to help my friends if they needed me.

It turned out that trying to find some time to empty my mind was going to be a real challenge. I couldn't do it at school, obviously, though it was very tempting sometimes. After school Edward helped me with homework and then I made dinner for Charlie and myself. Just before dinner Edward excused himself and left for home. Thankfully, Charlie didn't press me into any conversation, instead he went to the living room to watch TV, as usual.

I took the chance and after washing the dishes – which I still didn't dare to do by magic – I went upstairs into my bedroom to finally do some mind emptying.

It was much harder than I'd thought. Even though I was alone in the room, I was suddenly very aware of all the sounds and noises inside and outside of the room. I closed the window and drew the curtains to eliminate as much noise and light as possible. Then I lay down on the bed and closed my eyes.

I didn't want to fall asleep so I concentrated on being awake. Then I realised my mistake – I was supposed to think of nothing at all. So I tried that. The problem was that even when I didn't think of anything, I still could hear things. The loud ticking of the alarm clock on my bedside table. Distant sound of the TV from downstairs. Charlie's cough. Raindrops falling on the roof. Distant hooting of an owl, propably Agnes.

Usually, I was able to ignore these things when I was falling asleep. But now they seemed to be terribly loud. After a few minutes I sighed, got out of the bed and went downstairs to find some ear plugs.

* * *

I felt something hard and cold shaking me gently. I didn't want to open my eyes. They felt heavy and it felt good having them closed. I fought to get back the dream I'd had before the shaking started. It was a nice dream but I already couldn't remember it.

I frowned, my eyes still closed. The shaking didn't stop. On the contrary, it got a little less gentle. I sighed and unwillingly opened my eyes.

To room was nearly dark and someone was bent over me. I squinted at that person and recognized Edward. There was a strange expression on his face. He looked anxious and his mouth was moving but there was no sound coming out of it. I frowned, confused. Why couldn't I hear him? Actually I couldn't hear anything at all. What had happened to me?

I tried to think back to before I had fallen asleep and then I nearly facepalmed myself. I settled to rolling my eyes and pulled the ear plugs out of my ears.

„Bella – ", he started saying but then he noticed my movement and frowned. „Why did you have ear plugs?"

„I tried to empty my mind but the noises were too distracting," I shrugged and rubbed my eyes. Then I focused on him again. „What's the time?" I glanced to the window and the curtains were still drawn, though there seemed to be almost as much light outside as when I'd fallen asleep.

„It's eight in the morning."

„What?!" I blurted out in shock. Now I was definitely awake.

„I was trying to wake you for at least five minutes," he said, still frowning slightly. He looked relieved though. „I thought something had happened to you."

I quickly got out of the bed. I realised I still had yesterday's clothes on so I tried to look for some fresh ones, but the room was too dim. Edward seemed to understand because he darted to the window and drew back the curtains. The sudden light nearly blinded me, although the sky was clouded.

„I can't believe I overslept!" I grumbled on my way to the bathroom after I had located a pair of jeans and some clean shirt.

While I was in the bathroom, changing, I had an idea. I immediately knew that Edward wouldn't agree but I was determined to try anyway.

„Maybe I should call Charlie and ask him to excuse me from school today," I said slowly as soon as I was back in my room.

Edward was sitting on my bed, looking at me with a raised eyebrow. „Why?"

„I would be late anyway, so I thought that one day off wouldn't hurt anyone," I shrugged and then went on before he could interrupt me. „I could tell Charlie that I'm not feeling well."

Edward was shaking his head as I spoke. „We're not that late. If we hurry, we'll make it there before the second class starts."

„Oh, come on, Edward!" I whined and sat next to him. „You and your siblings skip school all the time on sunny days! Being sick is a perfectly normal excuse. And _you_ can go to school, I won't stop you." I wouldn't stop him but I was secretly hoping he would stay with me.

„I'm not leaving you here alone."

I smiled. At the same moment Edward's phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and frowned slightly at the display before answering it.

„Alice?" He was listening for a few seconds and then rolled his eyes. „Fine. Thanks." With that he ended the phone call and looked at me. „She saw me staying with you so she called Esme to call to school to excuse me. Apparently I'm suffering from a migraine so bad that I can't go to school," he explained with a sigh.

„Excellent," I beamed at him and went downstairs to call Charlie.

Charlie didn't buy it when I told him I was sick but he agreed to excuse me from the classes. I had to promise to study muggle subjects while at home though.

After I hang up I realised something and turned to Edward, who was standing next to me.

„How did you get inside? I remember closing the window and the curtains were still drawn when I woke up."

„Well," he hesitated, looking suddenly ashamed. „I might have broken in," he admitted sheepishly.

I blinked in surprise and hurried to the hall. The front door looked normal but when I looked closer I could see it was unhinged and a little cracked in the middle. I turned back to Edward who was now standing in the kitchen doorway, nervously running his hand through his hair.

„I'm sorry," he muttered. „I'll buy you a new one."

I rolled my eyes. „I think I can fix it." I sighed and ran up the stairs to get my wand. When I got back, I pointed it at the door and said, „ _Reparo!_ " To my relief, the door fixed itself and flew back into the hinges.

„I hoped you would be able to do something like that," said Edward with a smile.

„There is a spare key hidden under the eaves," I informed him and walked back to the kitchen to grab something to eat.

„So, what do you want to do?" asked Edward while I was eating breakfast.

„Well," I said thoughtfully. „I really need to practise the mind emptying thing. And I thought about finally learning some housework spells. And spend some time with you, of course." I smiled at him and, to my relief, he smiled back. „And there is something else I wanted to show you," I added after a few seconds.

„And what is that?"

I just smiled and shook my head. „You'll see."

I had come up with the idea yesterday when I thought about how to convince Edward that I needed to go to Britain. I had realised that he didn't know anything about the people I had spent my time at Hogwarts with. I had never even told him about my best friend and her family.

So after breakfast I took his hand and led him back into my bedroom.

„You read my school books, right?" I asked, walking to my school trunk which laid in the corner.

„Yes."

„Did you go through the other things in my trunk?"

„No, just the books. I didn't want to do it without your permission."

I sighed in relief and dragged the trunk to the bed where I opened the lid. Edward sat down on my bed and watched me curiously. I sat next to him and started rummaging through all the things in the trunk. After a while I finally found what I'd been looking for. A bunch of wizarding photographs clipped together.

„I want you to know about my friends," I said, slowly unclipping the photographs. I bit my lower lip and started arranging it so the oldest pictures went first. Edward watched me with lifted eyebrows.

„Did it just move?" He nearly gasped, pointing at one of the photographs. The Snitch just flew across it.

„Yes." I didn't comment on it further. He frowned, clearly not happy with my answer.

I stacked the photographs and held them up with the pictures facing me so Edward wouldn't see them before I meant him to. Then I took the first picture and laid it on the bed between us. It was a muggle photograph, one that Charlie had taken just after our first trip to Diagon Alley. The picture showed me in the Hogwarts school uniform and my newly bought wand which I held proudly in my right hand.

„Nice," said Edward with a smile, taking the picture in his hand. „How old were you?"

„Eleven. It was before I started Hogwarts," I explained. „Charlie was so excited to see me in the school uniform." I laughed at the memory. I quite liked the picture. It was before my awkward teenage years. „He went with me to do the shopping and was excited about everything. We both were. It was all so new to us." I remembered the wonderful day and smiled slightly.

„What about your mother?" Edward looked up from the photograph. „I know you said she wasn't happy with you being a witch, but wasn't she at least a bit curious?"

My smile faded and I sadly shook my head. „No. I think she was scared, actually. But I'm sure she would have gone with me to do the shopping if Charlie hadn't agreed to do it." At least she had said so.

„You must have been disappointed with her attitude," he said in a calm tone, but his expression was surprisingly angry. He put the picture back down on the bed.

„Well," I hesitated. „It was surprising because usually she's very open-minded and likes new and exciting things. But magic apparently doesn't fit in that category. At least Charlie's been very supportive." I shrugged and took another photograph which I placed on the first one.

This one was a wizarding photograph, taken by my classmate and fellow Griffindor Colin Creevey. It was of me, Ginny and a few other Griffindor first years just a few days after the sorting. We were sitting on the sofa in the common room, laughing and waving on the camera.

„I can't believe the picture's moving!" Edward said with a short laugh and then frowned slightly. „But it's a bit blurry and some of you are not moving." He looked up with raised eyebrows.

„Well, the boy who took the photograph was just a beginner then. It was one of his first pictures and he hadn't quite mastered the developing yet."

„How did he make it move?" He looked clearly fascinated, his eyes now fixed on our waving hands.

„There is a potion that enables that." I shrugged again. „Colin got better at it pretty quickly, considering he's a muggleborn like me, and it had been all new to him, too. He became our unofficial photographer during our school years."

„So, who are the other children?"

I shortly told him about the other kids, which were my roommates Maggie Addams and Ruth Owens.

„And this is Ginny Weasley," I said at last, pointing at the red-haired girl, who was sitting right next to me. „She's my best friend. I spent at least a week almost every summer with her family. She's got six older brothers and very loving parents. I always felt very welcome there." I took another picture with me and the Weasleys from my first summer at the Burrow and then another one with only the Weasleys on their holidays in Egypt, which Ginny had sent me.

Edward looked at the photos for a long time and then he sighed. „I know what you're trying to do, Bella," he said quietly and looked up at me. „It still doesn't change the way I feel about you going to fight."

I gritted my teeth but didn't say anything. Instead I took a picture with me and Ginny at the Yule Ball. I smiled slightly and looked at Edward, who was watching me intensely. Then he glanced at the picture and lifted an eyebrow.

„The Yule Ball," I explained. „I didn't want to go, but Ginny had been invited by an older boy and she didn't want to be the only third year at the Ball. So she talked me into it. And then a boy from Beauxbatons asked me to go with him." I frowned slightly. „I still think Ginny had something to do with it."

„Hm." Edward's eyes were fixed on the photo. „What was his name?" he asked, maybe too innocently.

I chuckled. „I don't remember," I admitted. „I didn't spend much time with him since I refused to dance. But he was very handsome."

He exhaled sharply but didn't look at me. His lips pressed together into a thin line.

I laughed and lightly touched his arm. „Not as handsome as you," I assured him after a few seconds.

He finally looked at me and rolled his eyes. „Not funny," he muttered but the corners of his mouth twitched slightly. I grinned at him. Then he seemed to realise something. „Why did you refuse to dance?"

I grimaced. „Because I can't dance. I would have probably crushed his feet or something."

„It's all about the leading, you know," he said and then tilted his head slightly. „Would you refuse to dance with me if I asked you?"

I stared at him for a few seconds before answering. „Well, I don't know. I'm quite clumsy," I admitted though I was sure he'd already noticed this little detail about me.

He rolled his eyes again. „Don't worry, my feet are a bit more durable." Then he grinned. „One day, I'll take you to a dance," he promised, or rather threatened.

„I wish you wouldn't try," I mumbled and took another photograph.

„The Dumbledore's Army?" Edward read aloud the tiny caption on top of the picture. He then looked carefully at all those people gathered on the photo.

„Yeah. It was when Umbridge was at Hogwarts. She refused to teach us any spells, we had to copy texts from the book. So some people decided to form a group where we would learn how to defend ourselves," I explained. „Harry was our leader." I pointed at the black-haired boy with round glasses. „He knew quite a lot of spells from the previous year and he had always been good at Defence."

I wished I knew what Edward was thinking but his face was unreadable. He continued to examine to photograph, his eyes stopping at each person for a few seconds. So I told him all about the DA I could think of. I named each member, telling him when there was something interesting about them. He didn't interrupt me, still holding the picture, but he was now watching me. When I finished, he laid the photo down and sighed.

„I think I can see your point," he said quietly. A smile started spreading across my face but he went on. „But I still don't like it."

My smile faded. „You don't have to like it. I just wanted you to understand."

„And I do, really." He closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. „It's just hard for me to even imagine you fighting or doing dangerous things."

„In that case, I'd rather not tell you about Quidditch," I said with a short laugh, trying to lighten the mood.

„Do I want to know what that is?" He raised his eyebrow, looking worried.

„It's something dangerous," I said with a smile. „But amazing, exciting and fun." With these words I showed him the last photograph. He'd already spotted the Snitch before. It was flying around the heads of Gryffindor Quidditch team, which I was a proud member of. The photo was taken after us winning the Quidditch Cup last year. Then I explained to him the complicated rules of the game.

„And you want to tell me that you play?" he asked incredulously after I finished. „Didn't you just tell me you were clumsy?"

„I'm only clumsy on the ground. Flying doesn't require running, so I can't trip or crash into something." I shrugged.

„But you said there are these balls that knock you off the broom!" He sounded appalled.

„Yeah, Bludgers can be a nuisance sometimes," I said with a shrug. „But no one has died as far as I know."

Edward just stared at me. „Sometimes I hope you just make things up," he said after a while.

„I know, it seems incredible. But all of it is true." Then I moved even closer to him and gently touched his cheek. He looked into my eyes, his eyes full of worry. „I live in a dangerous world, Edward. There are things and creatures you've never even heard of. Compared to them, Quidditch is pretty safe." I could see that this didn't help to improve his mood so I went for a different strategy. „You know, all these injuries caused by Quidditch can be easily fixed. Broken bones are nothing when you have magic at hand. It takes about ten seconds to heal it. Just ask Mrs. Weber, I'm sure she would tell you everything about magical medicine."

That helped a little. At least he composed his worried expression to a calmer one. I decided that „the photo time" was over so I took the photographs and stuck them back into my trunk.

„So what now?" Edward asked, watching me sending the trunk back into the corner with my wand.

„Well, I thought I would try to empty my mind again," I said uncertainly.

„You want me to leave, then?"

„No!" It didn't even cross my mind. „Just try not to distract me. Can you do that?"

„I think so." He slid off the bed and went to sit in the rocking armchair. He became utterly still, like a marble statue. He even closed his eyes.

„Thanks," I muttered and took a deep breath. Then I laid down on the bed, closing my eyes. I tried to ignore all the surrounding sounds, but just like last night, I became suddenly aware of every little noise in the house and outside. I laid like that for a few minutes and then gave up. I sat up, groaning in frustration and clapping my hands on my ears.

„Bella?" The statue had come to life again.

„I don't know how to do it!" I whined. „Everything seems so loud. It's so frustrating!"

Suddenly he was sitting next to me, his arm around my shoulders. I flinched a little, startled by his sudden appearance, but then I relaxed and leaned into his embrace. I felt him kissing the top of my head so I closed my eyes and let the pleasant feeling wash through me. I felt considerably calmer.

„Are you sure it's Jasper who manipulates emotions?" I mumbled against his shoulder.

He chuckled. „I might have learnt a few tricks from him." We were quiet for a few minutes. „Have you considered meditation?" he asked suddenly.

I frowned and pulled back a little, so I could see his face. „Um, no. I didn't think of it. Do you think it would help?" It actually didn't sound like a bad idea.

„I don't know," he said with a shrug. „But it's supposed to help you calm your mind. I think it wouldn't hurt to try. And by the way, didn't Toby say that you should concentrate on just one thing during the day and leave the mind emptying exercise for evenings?"

„Oh, you're right!" I had completely forgotten about this. „I don't know how to do it, though," I said, biting my lower lip. „The meditation, I mean. Do you have any tips?"

„No, but you can look it up on the internet," he suggested.

„I don't have a computer," I admitted. Edward gaped at me. „What? Do you see it here in my room?" I felt a little miffed.

„Well, no, but surely, Charlie has to have one."

„No, he doesn't. He's not a fan of modern technology and when he needs internet, he can always use a computer in his office at the station." I shrugged.

Edward laughed incredulously and shook his head. I scowled at him.

„I'm sorry," he said and even had the decency to look ashamed. „We can go to our house and use one of ours," he suggested. „Or maybe Carlisle has some books about meditation in his library."

„Yeah, good idea." I smiled at him. „But we'll go there in the afternoon. I promised Charlie to do some studying."


	19. News

**A/N: Hi again. I promised to post sooner and look! I'm keeping the promise :) I know it's still been a month but it's better than two, right?**

 **There's another Author's note at the end of the chapter. I feel like I need to explain something to you about the chapter.**

Chapter nineteen

After the exhausting study session, during which Edward had decided to stuff my brain with as many mathematical nonsense as possible, I made a quick chicken salad for lunch and started to eat. Just then, for the second time in three weeks, my enchanted galleon started to burn in my pocket. I gasped in surprise and dropped the fork that fell on the plate.

„Bella? What's wrong?" asked Edward when he saw my expression.

I just shook my head and reached into my pocket to take out the golden coin. It didn't burn anymore but it was still shining brightly, making the tiny description on the bottom of the galleon visible.

 _Radio. 3 short taps. Pswrd: Lightning. Now._

I squinted at it, the letters were even tinier than last time, and then showed it to Edward. „Could you - " I started asking but he was already gone. He was back with my small radio about five seconds later. „Thanks." I smiled weakly at him and he placed the radio on the table in front of me. Then he pulled his chair next to me and put an arm around my shoulders.

I pulled out my wand and with a slightly shaking hand tapped shortly three times on the radio, murmuring the password. At first, nothing happened. Then there was a slight cracking noise coming out of the speaker of the radio. The cracking got louder and I could hear distant voices in between. One of the voices, a male one, got louder and much clearer.

 _„… you think I got through?"_ There was a pause and again a distant voice was heard, probably answering the question. „ _All right, let's try and hope we've got through."_

I gaped at the radio. The voice was familiar, though I hadn't heard it for more than two years so I couldn't be a hundred percent sure. But it did sound like Lee Jordan, our former Quidditch commentator.

 _„Dear listeners, welcome to our brand new radio programme, which we decided to call the Potterwatch. My name is River and I'll be the main presenter, though there will be others, who will regurarly contribute to our programme. But we'll get to them later."_

There was a short pause. I could feel Edward's eyes on my face but I didn't look at him.

 _„So, what is the Potterwatch?"_ Lee continued. „ _I think you all heard or read the official news given to us by the Ministry. Interesting, wasn't it?"_ I could hear a sneer in his voice. „ _I believe there are people who did find it interesting but, as one of my good friends said, it's a pile of rubbish. That's why we decided that you need to hear the truth about what's really been happening here._

 _And why the Potterwatch, you may ask? Well, among other news we will try to keep track with no other than the infamous „Undesirable No. One", as they call him. Or the Chosen One, as we call him. In other words: Harry Potter. But before our first correspondent informs us about the doings of Mr. Potter, let me tell you a few other details about our programme._

 _First: It's not regular. We don't know when there will be another broadcast and there's always the possibility that we will be caught. But we will try to get to you everytime we'll feel you need to know some important piece of information._

 _Second: We are constantly on the move so the code and the password you need to tune us in will be changing. I'll tell you the next password at the end of our programm but the code will be known just before the next broadcast begins. Some of you recieved our message with the details about our programme so if you know someone trustworthy, who craves for true information, please let them know."_

So it was Lee who had sent me the message. I smiled a little. It was good to know that Hermione's Galleons had been put to use again. I wondered if Harry knew about this. I liked to think that he did.

Lee went on.

 _„Now it's time to introduce our first regular contributor. Good evening, Royal."_

Another familiar voice came out of the radio, this time I had no trouble identifying him.

 _„Good evening, River,"_ said Kingsley Shacklebolt's deep, measured voice.

 _„So, Royal, tell us the latest news about Harry Potter. Do you know where he is?"_

 _„I don't and even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you in case someone untrustworthy was listening. But I feel the need to inform you what really happened during the famous Ministry break-in at the beginning of September."_ I leaned even closer to the tiny radio. _„The truth is, we don't really know what made Harry go to the lion's den, as you may call it, but we do know that he got there in disguise as a Ministry worker and he wasn't alone."_ There was a short silence. _„Anyway, they broke into one of the courtrooms, where the Muggle-born Commission was interrogating muggle-born witches and wizards. According to an eyewitness, they seemed to take something from Umbridge and then, on their way out, they saved at least six muggle-borns who had been waiting for their turn in the interrogation."_

I was listening intently, aware that my mouth was hanging open.

 _„Of course the official news forgot to mention this little detail,"_ Lee stepped in.

 _„Yes,"_ Kingsley went on. „ _After that, Harry and his companions vanished and he hasn't been heard of ever since. But it's a good news, because had he been caught, it would have been the news number one in Daily Prophet and other Ministry controlled media."_

 _„I know you have other news for us. And not that optimistic,"_ said Lee.

 _„Unfortunatelly, yes,"_ Kingsley's voice turned grave. _„A hunt for those, who refused to present themselves for the interrogation, has started. Families of those muggle-borns were forced to go into hiding but some of them didn't make it. Muggles Ellen and Paul Creevey were found dead in their home last night. There have been traces of torture on their bodies. Their two sons, who both had been attending Hogwarts school in previous years but were not given their blood status, were not found so we believe they've managed to hide."_

„No!" I gasped in shock, staring in horror at the radio. I felt my eyes brimming with tears. Edward's grip around my shoulders tightened. I distantly heard Kingsley speak about other deaths and missing people, but I couldn't concentrate anymore. There weren't more names I knew, at least.

Poor Colin and Dennis. I'd never met their parents but I felt really sorry for them. They didn't deserve this terrible fate. No one did. I didn't even want to think about what they had gone through.

I wiped the tears from my eyes and forced myself to listen again. Kingsley had apparently finished his list of deaths, thankfully it wasn't too long, and now it was Lee speaking again.

 _„Thank you, Royal,"_ he said. _„Now let me indroduce our second regular contributor. Good evening, Romulus."_

 _„Good evening, River,"_ said yet another familiar voice. I felt my eyes widen when I recognized our former Defence teacher, Remus Lupin. I had to smile a little at the choice of his nickname.

 _„Romulus is here for our feature, which we decided to call Palls of Potter. As you might know, there are many people, who are known as Harry's friends or at least his supporters, who are trying to do everything in their power to fight You-Know-Who and his Death Eaters. So, Romulus, what's new in the world of Harry's supporters?"_

 _„Like you've already said, River, they try and fight with all means possible. For example, Xenophilius Lovegood, the editor of The Quibbler, openly admitts his support of Harry Potter by printing exalting articles in his magazine."_ I felt a sudden urge of gratitude for the slightly eccentric man I'd met at the wedding. But Lupin went on, _„I'm not sure, how long will You-Know-Who tolerate this, though. I heard rumors that he's trying to silence him. Let's hope Mr. Lovegood knows what he's doing."_

 _„Yes,"_ said Lee, _„Old Xeno's intentions are undoubtedly good but we fear there might be quite serious consequences."_

 _„You're right,"_ agreed Lupin, _„and if by any chance Xeno's listening to our programme, I would like to warn him and ask to not overdo it, no matter how commendable his actions are."_

 _„What about the students and teachers of Hogwarts?"_ Lee now asked the question I had been anxiously awaiting. _„We all know that there are lots of Harry's friends and supporters among them."_

Now I grabbed the tiny radio with both hands.

 _„Unfortunatelly we don't have much information about what is now happening at Hogwarts,"_ said Lupin with a sigh. I closed my eyes, feeling a sting of disappointment. _„There are two new teachers, who are in fact Death Eaters. Alecto Carrow and her brother Amycus are, we assume, in charge of discipline. They wouldn't hesitate to punish everyone who would disobey them. And then there is Severus Snape, the new Headmaster, who, as we believe, would report everything directly to You-Know-Who."_

Edward had to pull my fingers off the radio. They were in danger of getting hurt by squeezing the radio too tightly.

 _„But,"_ Lupin went on, _„we don't think the students are in any danger of being killed. Since there are only students that were given their blood status, You-Know-Who wouldn't want the precious magical blood spilled."_

 _„That doesn't mean he wouldn't have them tortured, though,"_ said Lee.

 _„You're right. I said that we didn't have much information about Hogwarts, but we do know that the students are trying to make the life of the Carrows difficult. Sadly, I have no more details about that."_

 _„And this rather disturbing piece of information brings us to an end of the very first Potterwatch,"_ said Lee _. „But don't worry, we will be back again. We don't know when but keep trying various combinations of the code. We'll try to at least keep it at the same hour. The next password is Fawkes. Be safe and keep faith. Good night."_

Then I heard another cracking sound and then there was silence. I turned off the radio and continued staring at it. My head was spinning so I put it into my hands.

„Bella?" Edward's voice was full of worry. „Are you alright?"

I just nodded but didn't raise my head. Faces of Colin and Dennis Creevey were in the front of my mind when I closed my eyes. What chances did they have? Colin was younger than me, so neither he nor his fourteen years old brother could use magic. It was just a matter of time before they were caught.

I sobbed. I didn't want to cry in front of Edward, but I just couldn't help it. I felt his hands turning me to him and pressing me against his chest. He murmured soothing words in my ear and gently stroked my back. After a while I slowly began to calm down until I wasn't sobbing anymore, but tears were still running down my face.

„I'm sorry," I mumbled, pulling slightly away from his chest. I wiped the tears from my face and frowned. „I didn't mean to break down like that."

„It's alright, Bella," he said, clearly fighting the urge to roll his eyes at me. „I'm here for you whenever you need me."

„Thank you." I really felt grateful for his presence right now, no matter how embarrassed I felt.

He just smiled and glanced at the radio on the table. „You looked like you knew the people on the radio," he said hesitantly.

„Yes," I sighed and took the radio in my hand. „The presenter was Lee Jordan. He used to be the commentator of Quidditch when he was at school." I smiled slightly. „I didn't know him that well but he was a friend of Ginny's older brothers."

Edward frowned slightly. „He was a member of the Dumbledore's Army, wasn't he? I remember you saying his name."

„Yeah," I nodded. „The other man, the one with the deep voice, was Kingsley Shacklebolt. He was an Auror and thanks to him I was able to escape in the summer."

„Then I'm grateful to him too. And who was the last one?"

„Remus Lupin. He was our Defence teacher in my second year. One of the best teachers we ever had." I decided not to tell him about the reason why Lupin had to leave the school. I didn't want to bring out Edward's overprotective nature just now.

We sat in silence for the next few minutes. Edward looked lost in thoughts and I was wondering what he was thinking about. Undoubtedly it was something to keep me safe. I wanted to grimace but I managed to control my expression. After what we'd heard, he couldn't think he would manage to keep me from fighting. It was impossible.

„Let's go to your house to look up the meditation," I suggested, trying to bring his mind back to the present. And to think of something else myself.

* * *

We got back to Charlie's around five. I got out of Edward's car, clutching several sheets of paper in my hand. Esme had been thrilled to see me again but left us alone while we'd been looking up all about meditation on Edward's expensive looking computer.

Edward promised to come back later tonight to spend the night in my room again. Then he drove away. Charlie's cruiser was parked in front of the house, so he was already home.

I found Charlie sitting at the table in the kitchen. There was a bottle of beer in front of him but it wasn't even open. He looked angry and ashamed about something.

„Hi, Dad," I said hesitantly, stopping in the doorframe. „Is everything okay?"

Charlie looked up at me. „Where have you been?" he asked grumpily.

„At the Cullens. I needed to look up something on their computer."

He grumbled something unintelligible. I took a deep breath and went to sit down opposite him. „What happened, Dad?" I finally asked, not sure I wanted to know the answer.

„I was at your school today," he started, playing idly with the beer bottle. „The principal had asked me to come when I called to excuse you this morning."

„What did he want?"

„He wanted to know why he still hadn't received papers about your transfer from Britain."

„Oh," was all I could think of. At least it wasn't anything tragic. I always wondered how had Charlie managed to get me to the school but I had never thought to ask him.

„He said he wanted the papers by the end of the next week, or you would have to leave the school."

That didn't seem like a bad news. I didn't want to go to the school anyway. „Well, what did you tell him in the summer anyway? How did you even convince him to let me in the school in the first place?"

Charlie dropped his eyes. „I told him to wait for the papers. That it might be delayed because it was an intercontinental transfer. He agreed to wait for a month."

„And why didn't you tell me? You must have known he would want the papers again." I was angry now. I could have been spared the high school altogether, or we could have thought of something together, if he'd told me.

„I – I guess I forgot," he admitted, his face going red.

„Well, it doesn't matter, really." I shrugged. „I don't really need to go to school. It has been all about appearances after all. I know people now who help me with what I need." It was a relief actually.

„But you didn't know anyone before. People would have been curious why you were here. I didn't know what else to do," he said defensively.

„I know and I don't blame you. If it hadn't been for the school, I would have never met Angela's mum." Or Edward.

Charlie was quiet for a moment, thinking. „What are we going to tell people?"

„I don't know." I shrugged. „They'll find about the missing papers anyway. It's a small school and a small town."

„So is that what you want?" he asked, finally opening the bottle. He seemed calmer now. „To drop the school? Maybe I could do something. Try to persuade the principal to let you stay."

„No, Dad." I shook my head. „It's a relief, actually. I always felt like I was waisting my time there."

„But we have to think of something to say to people. You have to have an education," he pressed on.

„We will," I assured him. I knew it would be a shame for him to have a seemingly uneducated daughter. Even though he knew it wasn't true, other people didn't. And on top of that, he was a public figure so it was important what others thought. „I'm going to make dinner."

* * *

„But there must be something we can do," said Edward exasperatedly, pacing in my room. It was late evening and I had just told him the news about the school. He didn't take it so well. „You can do magic, Bella, you or Mrs. Weber could just conjure the papers. Or…" he stopped pacing and his face suddenly brightened. „… we could ask Jasper. He takes care about our identities so he could easily forge the papers for you. Maybe even hack into a British school computer system so it would look authentic."

I rolled my eyes. „I told you I didn't want to go to the school anymore. It's waste of my time." It was true I could persuade the principal to let me stay by confounding him so he wouldn't remember I didn't give him the papers. But I just didn't want to. It was easier this way.

„But…" he started saying something but I put my palm on his mouth.

„No buts," I said firmly. „I'm leaving the school."

 **A/N: Okay, so Bella's leaving the school. And it's a relief not just for her but for me as well. I didn't like writing about her time at school mainly because it was slowing the story down and also because I'm not familiar with the American high school system so I couldn't go into too much details anyway. Also I'm glad I got rid of a few characters. I'm finding it quite hard writing about so many of them. So if you like Mike or Jessica, then I'm sorry to disappoint you but they won't appear in this story anymore.**

 **Thank you for reading.**


	20. Shopping

Chapter twenty

„What exactly is your problem, Edward?" I finally asked while making lunch the next day. He had said barely two words since last night.

„Nothing," Edward mumbled but continued staring through the window as he had been doing for the last twenty minutes.

„It's about the school, isn't it?" I said with a sigh, putting the lasagne on a plate. I took the plate and walked to the table where I sat next to Edward and started eating. We were alone, Charlie had to be at work this weekend.

Edward sighed and turned his gaze at me. „You want me to protect you," he started quietly. „Yet you want to stay home alone all the time, while I won't be able to watch over you."

„I can stay with Esme, if that makes you feel better," I suggested. It would be nice to get to know her better. „And Alice would see if something was about to happen." He just continued staring at me, his expression unreadable. „It's not just about my safety, is it?"

A flicker of embarrassment crossed his face but he quickly composed it. But his lips were tightly pressed together. I narrowed my eyes in suspicion. After a few seconds he sighed and looked down at his hands. „We won't be able to spend much time together anymore," he finally admitted.

I rolled my eyes and smiled, putting my hand over his. „Don't worry. We'll still have afternoons and nights and weekends together."

„I know," he said and looked up at me. „It's just… I'd finally started actually enjoying the school. With you there, I was no longer bored. But now it will be the same as before. Endless boredom." He grimaced but the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.

I felt sorry for him. I'd never realised what he and his siblings had to go through every day at school. They couldn't learn anything new since they had done it so many times. Unlike Carlisle, who actually helped saving lives, they had to suffer through the same long hours of nothing but boredom over and over.

After lunch Edward drove me to his house where another lesson with Toby was supposed to start in an hour. I'd planned to ask Toby about what to do with my school problem. I still didn't know what would be the official reason for my leaving school. I had been trying to think about it since Charlie told me about the missing papers but so far came with nothing plausible. I didn't want it to be too complicated because that would create more lies and poor Charlie would have to deal with all the questions.

Esme was thrilled when I asked her if I could stay with her while everyone was at school. Though I suspected Alice had already told her. Just as I thought about her, Alice suddenly appeared by my side. She gave me a brilliant smile, took me by the hand and with an excited, „Hi Bella, come with me!" she dragged me toward the stairs. I barely had time to register Edward's amused expression.

„What is it, Alice?" I panted, confused, as she impatiently walked up the stairs in a quick human pace with me in tow.

„You'll see!" Her excitement scared me a little but I didn't ask further and let her lead the way.

She took me to her bedroom and there I could see a pile of brand new looking clothes laying on the bed. I looked at her with raised eyebrows. „Alice?"

„Sorry, Bella, but you are in desperate need of new clothes," she announced, not sounding sorry at all. She strode to the bed and started spreading various kinds of jeans, t-shirts and skirts on the bed's surface.

„Alice!" I moaned. I stayed by the door with my arms across my chest. „I can't afford these."

„Don't be ridiculous, Bella." She rolled her eyes. „I already bought them for you. It's a gift."

„You can't give me clothes, Alice!"

„Why not?"

„Because…" I hesitated, thinking of the right reason. „Because it's too expensive and we've known each other for just one week!" It was ridiculous and I felt my face going red.

„It feels like much longer," said Alice, completely at ease. „And money means very little to us. And I didn't have a chance to give you anything for your birthday."

„How do you know when my birthday is?" I narrowed my eyes.

„Well, I don't know the exact day but you told Edward you couldn't do magic when you'd arrived here and now you can. So it must have been in September." I didn't ask how she knew this. Maybe Edward had told her. Or she had seen me telling him which seemed more likely.

„I wouldn't argue with her, you know," said a voice behind me and I turned to see Jasper entering the room. He smiled and winked at me and then he slipped past me quickly, heading for another room that was attached to their bedroom. He gently touched Alice's arm when he was passing her and then disappeared behind the door.

„So, try them on," Alice ordered and I obeyed with a resigned sigh.

I spent the rest of the hour trying on Alice's – or rather mine – new clothes. All of them fit me perfectly. After I tried every piece of clothes, Alice pulled several boxes out from under the bed. It turned out to be shoes. I glared at her but before I managed to say anything, she sighed and turned her head toward the door.

„Toby's going to be here in forty-six seconds," she said and I breathed out in relief. She noticed and narrowed her eyes at me. „We'll continue with this when your lesson is over." I scowled at her but then I turned and strode out of the room with her at my heels.

Just when we reached the bottom of the stairs, I heard the familiar crack that announced Toby's arrival. This time he brought Angela with him. We all settled ourselves in the living room, the rest of the Cullens joining us, except for Carlisle, who was in the hospital, and Rosalie, who was suddenly busy in the garage.

„I need your advice, Toby," I said as soon as he sat down on the couch. He raised his eyebrows but motioned to me to go on. So I told him everything about the school and the transfering papers. „I don't know what to tell the rest of the town," I said in the end, feeling a bit stupid that I couldn't think of anything by myself.

Toby looked thoughtful, stroking his chin with his thumb.

„I think you should keep it as simple as possible," he finally said, confirming what I'd thought would be best. „Angela told me your mother lives in Phoenix?" He said it as a question.

„In Florida," I corrected him. „But she still owns our house in Phoenix."

„But the Phoenix address is the one you gave the school?" he asked and I nodded. „Good. Then you should officially say you're moving back to Phoenix. You can say your mother missed you or fell ill or something. It's up to you."

I could see several problems with that. „But the principal would know the real reason. And I wouldn't be able to go out of the house."

„But he doesn't know the _real_ reason, does he?"

„No, he doesn't." I said with a blush.

„Well, you can say that the papers are on their way but you will have them sent to Phoenix. End of story. No one will ask anything." He paused for a few seconds and then added. „But we can keep an eye on the principal for a few days, just to be sure."

„I can watch out for any suspicious rumors," piped up Angela.

„So can we," said Edward, and Alice, Jasper and Emmett nodded.

„Good," said Toby with a smile and I had to smile too. It really was quite simple.

„But I still won't be able to go out," I pointed out.

„And how often do you go out now?"

„Um…" I hesitated. The truth was that except for school, the grocery store and the library, I rarely went out. „But I come here. Someone could spot me on my way here."

„Not if you travel the magical way." Toby was still completely at ease and even though it should calm me, it had quite the opposite effect.

„But I still can't apparate!"

Toby rolled his eyes. „Is apparation the only means of magical transport, Bella?" I stared at him. I didn't have my broomstick and I couldn't imagine getting a Portkey everytime I needed to go to the Cullens. Toby patiently waited for me to finally get something obvious.

My eyes wandered around the living room while my mind was trying to find the obvious answer, when I noticed the big fireplace in the corner. I slapped my forehead. „The Floo Network!"

Toby and Angela grinned at me while the Cullens looked confused. I explained how the Floo Network worked and asked for their permission to have their fireplace connected to the Network which Esme excitedly gave. Toby then promised to arrange it with the Congress as soon as possible. Angela offered to take me to a place where I could buy the powder and any magical stuff I'd need. We agreed to go tomorrow.

After that we began our lesson. Toby asked if I had practiced emptying my mind and I admitted that I wasn't very good at it.

„Do you think meditation would help?" I asked, wanting to hear his opinion.

„Sure," he said. „This is actually a great idea. Don't know why I didn't think of it myself."

Glad to have his approval I was determined to start with meditation as soon as possible. Until I was capable of at least the basic nonverbal magic, Toby decided to go through defensive spells with me. I had already showed him my Shield charm and he wanted to practice that one further. Before we went outside to practice though, he wrote me a list of defensive spells he wanted me to try on my own in my leisure time.

Once we were outside, we positioned ourselves just like the last time. This time Edward volunteered to try and get through my shield.

„No way!" Emmett protested loudly. „It's still my turn! Bella didn't manage to fend me off last time!"

„You already had your turn," said Edward and streaked past me to stand next to Toby.

„That's not fair!" shouted Emmett and I rolled my eyes. They behaved like they were ten years old.

„Boys!" Esme reprimanded them but she was smiling.

Emmett scowled at Edward for a few seconds but then he just shrugged and went to stand next to Rosalie, who had come out of the garage and was now leaning against the wall of the house some distance apart from the others with a seemingly disinterested expression.

Although Edward wasn't as big and strong as Emmett, he was much faster and broke through my Shield easily. Instead of bringing me down like Emmett had done last time, he stopped right in front of me and gently embraced me with his arms, kissing me lightly on my cheek. I blushed which made Emmett and Jasper snicker in amusement. I ignored them.

We practiced with various members of the Cullen family. I managed to fend off Esme and Alice but failed repeatedly with Emmett and Edward. Rosalie had refused to participate but continued to watch and Jasper had said he didn't want to risk getting too near me. I knew it wasn't personal – at least in Jasper's case – so I was fine with it.

After I finally managed to fend off Edward (Emmett was still too strong for my shield), we tried the Disarming charm. At first I thought it would be easy because I knew this spell really well. But I'd never practiced it with moving targets which turned out to be a lot more difficult. Toby pulled several dolls out of his bag and then enlarged them so they now represented dummies with fake wands in their hands. He then made them move in various directions. At the end of the day I was lucky to disarm one of the dummies, feeling completely exhausted.

Carlisle arrived shortly after six and was clearly dissapointed when he saw that we'd just finished with today's lesson. Toby reminded me of my homework and we arranged another lesson for Tuesday afternoon. Then he took Angela's hand and they both dissaparated.

* * *

On Sunday morning I drove to the Webers to meet Angela for our shopping trip we'd arranged yesterday. Edward had been disappointed when I told him that I wanted to go alone with Angela. Even worse was Alice who just refused to accept the possibility of a shopping trip without her. It wasn't that I didn't want their company, but as Toby had told us, it would raise too many questions among the other wizards and witches because everyone would recognize vampires too easily. And since the situation about the Cullens wasn't a common knowledge yet, it was safer to go alone.

Mrs. Weber greeted me with a relaxed smile and invited me in. „Good morning, Bella."

„Good morning, Mrs. Weber." I smiled back and stepped inside.

„Please, you can call me Amelia," she offered and led me to their living room, which looked very cozy and was dominated by a huge fireplace.

„Amelia." I nodded slightly and then looked around. „Where's Angela?"

„Still in her room getting ready." At that moment a boy about ten years old ran into the room being chased by another boy, who was clearly his twin. „Stop running around like lunatics!" She chastised them with a stern look. „Have you cleaned your room yet?"

„But Mom!" They both started to protest but when they saw her expression they quickly turned around and ran out of the room.

„Are they magical too?" I asked, turning back to Amelia.

„Yes," she said with a proud smile. „They have both showed signs of magic and keep bombarding me with questions about the school."

„It must be hard for Angela." I couldn't help feeling even more sorry for her.

„Well, she says she doesn't mind," Amelia shrugged. „And I believe her. She's like her father a lot – calm and accepting."

„Well, I can't really do anything about it, can I?" said a voice behind me and I turned to see Angela wearing a bright smile and a backpack on her back. „Hey, Bella."

„Hi, Angela."

We hugged and Angela walked straight to the fireplace. I followed her with a last glance at Amelia, who said goodbye and walked out of the room.

„Okay," said Angela, grabbing the pot with the powder from the mantelpiece. „The name of the place is The Western Square. You do know how to use the Floo, right?"

„Sure," I reassured her and stood right next to her. Angela then took a handful of the powder and stepped into the fireplace. She then threw the powder onto the hearth, shouting, „The Western Square!" The flames engulfed her and she was gone. I followed right after her.

* * *

After what had seemed like several minutes I stopped rotating and hit a solid surface, burying my feet into ash. I opened my eyes, which I had closed to prevent the ash from getting into them, and stepped out of the hearth. I dusted the ash off my clothes and looked around.

I was standing in a restaurant, that was nothing like the Leaky Cauldron in London. It was clean and looked very much like an ordinary muggle restaurant, except that a few of the customers wore robes, though clearly more modern ones than what I knew from Britain. Perfectly round tables were scattered around the room, on each table was a light blue tablecloth. When I looked properly though, I could see that there was a moving picture of a flying silver dragon on each of the tablecloths. The same dragon was painted on the wall oposite the entrance.

Angela, who was standing a few steps from me, smiled when she saw me looking around. „We're in the Flying Dragon," she explained. „We can stop here for lunch later." I nodded eagerly. The smell of something delicious was coming from the kitchen.

We left the restaurant and found ourselves in a large square with a big stone fountain in the middle. There was a statue of a man in the middle of the fountain and water was gushing from his hat. The square was clean and bright with many various shops surrounding it. Angela tugged my sleeve.

„The big golden building over there is the Bank," she said pointing at said building. „You have to change your money before you start shopping."

I nodded and let Angela lead the way. I was quite curious what the American wizarding money looked like.

The Bank wasn't run by Goblins like in Britain. There were wizards and witches in light green uniforms sitting behind the long marble counter. Angela told me that the vaults were somewhere behind the walls but that no one, except for the bank employees, knew what they looked like. When someone wanted to withdraw money or other things they just gave their request with a code to one of the emloyees and they did it for them.

Angela directed me toward a young witch whose seat was marked with a golden plate that read „Exchange". The process was the same as I knew from the Gringotts. I gave the witch some dollars and she weighed them on a brass scales. She then filled the other bowl with the matching amount of silver coins. At last she poured the coins into a leather pouch and gave it to me.

„Would you like to open an account in our bank?" asked the witch with a pleasant smile.

„Um," I hesitated but before I could continue, Angela stepped to the counter muttering „No, thanks," and dragged me out of the building.

„What are you doing?" I asked, confused, once we were outside.

„You are in hiding, Bella. You can't have an account in a bank unless you want to be found," Angela explained patiently. „They would be able to trace you down if you had a record with your name and address in it."

„Oh," I muttered, feeling like a criminal.

To distract myself from unpleasant thoughts I opened the pouch and pulled out one of the coins. It looked really strange. It wasn't round like any other coins I knew. Instead it was octagonal with a number one on it and an inscription that said „One Dragot". I turned the coin on my palm several times to have a better look at it.

Angela watched me with an amused expression. „So, where do you want to go first?"

„For the Powder, I think."

We found the shop that sold the Floo Powder and other aids used for magical transport in an alley between a bookstore and an apothecary. Although it was a small shop, the old wizard behind the counter didn't seem to notice us until I was ready to pay.

We spent the rest of the morning in the bookstore. It was devided into two sections – one for school books and the other for the rest. I bought a few books about defensive spells and a few about spells and curses for daily use.

While we were sitting at the restaurant eating our lunch, Angela told me, that we were actually in Los Angeles and that there is another magical shopping place identical to this one in New York under the Statue of Liberty. This place was inside Mount Lee hidden behind the Hollywood sign, specifically behind the letter W. It had been there long before the sign was created, and the wizards were afraid that the square would be found, even though it was magically protected, or that the entrance would be destroyed. Fortunatelly neither happened and muggles remained happily ignorant of the magical world.

„Since we are inside of a mountain, how is it that I can see the sky?" I asked, because I could clearly see the sun and feel it's heat on my face.

„It's not the real sky. The roof is enchanted so it reflects the current weather," Angela explained.

„Oh, I should have thought about it," I laughed and then added, „It's the same in the Great Hall at Hogwarts."

In return I told her all about the Diagon Alley in London. I had to admit, though I didn't say it aloud, that I liked the Diagon Alley better. Although this place was neat and bright and certainly magical, it didn't have the old-fashioned charm I'd liked so much.

After lunch we visited a few more shops. I bought a few bottles of Butterbeer, my favourite wizarding drink, and a bottle of Firewhisky for Charlie. I was dissapointed when I found out that Quidditch was not very popular in America and therefore there was a very limited supply of racing and sports broomsticks in the Sport Supplies Store. Angela was surprised that I was so interested in brooms so I told her about my short Quidditch career.

„But… it's dangerous!" gasped Angela. „And totally barbaric."

I was a little miffed when she'd called my favourite sport „barbaric" but then I laughed because her concern reminded me of someone. „You sound like Edward," I said, rolling my eyes. We both laughed.

„He really cares about you, you know," she said, while we were sitting on a bench by the fountain, enjoying ice cream Angela'd bought for both of us.

„Yeah," I mumbled, savouring the rich strawberry flavour of my ice cream.

„What about you? Do you care about him too?" she asked hesitantly. I turned to her and saw that she really seemed to care.

I lowered my eyes so I was staring at my lap now. „Yes, I… I think I do," I stammered, feeling the blood flooding my cheeks. It was the first time I confessed my feelings for Edward to someone. I'd never even fully admitted them to myself; I'd always kept putting thinking about it off, too afraid of what I would find out. I certainly couldn't bring myself to tell Edward when he'd confessed his feelings for me. I still felt bad about it.

„What are you going to do about it? He's a vampire and you're…"

„Human," I finished for her with a grimace. „I'm aware of that," I almost snapped at her. Then I shooked my head and sighed. „Sorry. But I don't know, Angela. I can't even bring myself to think about it. I keep telling myself that there are more important things to think about."

„But you will have to think about it eventually."

„I know. But not yet." I looked at her, silently pleading her to drop the subject.

She nodded and then smiled slightly. „If you want to talk about it sometimes, you can always come to see me, you know that, right?"

„Yeah. Thanks, Angie." I smiled too, feeling grateful for her accepting and calm nature, as her mother had so accurately put it.

When we finished our ice creams we decided to return home. We went back to the Flying Dragon and I waited for Angela to step into the fireplace first. After she vanished in the flames I followed right after her. I closed my eyes, threw the Floo powder on the hearth and after shouting „The Weber Residence!" I let the flames take me back to Forks.

Once I felt the solid ground under my feet again, I opened my eyes and climbed out of the fireplace, wiping the ash off my clothes.

„Bella!" I heard a familiar velvet voice and before I could blink I was held in a tight embrace. I squirmed, trying to pull back so I could look at Edward's face. His voice had sounded upset.

If his voice had sounded upset, it was nothing compared to his face. His expression was full of anger, fear and horror. „Edward, what hap – "

„They're coming, Bella," he whispered. „They're coming for you."

 **A/N: I'm sorry about the cliffhanger! I will try to write the next chapter as soon as possible.**


	21. Vision

Chapter twenty-one

 _„They're coming for you."_

For an immeasurable amount of time – it could have been minutes or days, I wasn't sure – these were the only words I could hear in my head. I was frozen, unable to move or think or even see. _They're coming… They're coming… They're coming…_

„Bella?" I could hear the same voice now calling my name but I still couldn't make myself move.

Then more voices.

„Is she alright?"

„Is she going to faint?"

„Bella!"

„She's just in shock, I think."

Then the first voice again. „Bella, come back to me, please."

I blinked several times and finally I was able to see Edward's worried face just inches from mine. „Edward," I whispered and his expression relaxed a bit. I looked around and saw that someone had seated me on a sofa. Edward was sitting right next to me and standing around us were Amelia, Angela and a man I'd never seen before. He was slightly overweight and his dark brown hair was thinning.

I blinked again and everything began coming slowly back to me. The shopping trip with Angela, me stepping out of the fireplace and finally Edward's shocking words.

„How?" I managed to choke out. „How did the Death Eaters find me?"

Edward and Amelia exchanged looks.

„What?"

„Not Death Eaters, Bella," said Amelia slowly. The man, who I'd understood was Mr. Weber, handed me a glass of water. I thanked him and grasped the glass tightly with both hands. Then I realised what Amelia had said.

„What?" I asked again, confused. „But who else would come for me?"

Edward took a deep breath and said, „Vampires."

I gaped at him. „What? But… who? I… I don't understand. Why me?" I really didn't understand why would any vampire want to target me specifically. Before I'd met the Cullens, I had nothing to do with vampires. I hadn't even spoken to the one at the Christmas party last year.

„We don't know," he admitted. „Alice had a vision of three unknown vampires heading for your house." He avoided my eyes when he said it so I knew he wasn't telling me everything. I decided not to push the matter right now.

„What are we going to do?" I asked in a slightly higher voice than usual.

„We need a plan," said Amelia firmly and then she looked at Edward. „I suggest we go to your house and discuss it with your family."

Edward nodded and stood up, pulling me up with him. He was holding me around my waist, probably afraid I would faint or something. I still felt a little weak so I was grateful for his support.

Angela wanted to come with us but Amelia asked her to stay with her father and the twins at home and make them dinner. „You know I wouldn't trust your father with making anything more than tea," she said with a wink at Mr. Weber, who chuckled and put an arm around Angela's shoulders. She at least made her mother promise to tell her everything when she got home.

We all got in Edward's Volvo, since it was definitely faster than my old truck. Edward had said he would send someone to get my truck later. Even though Amelia could have simply apparated, she had chosen to ride with us instead. We drove in silence but I could see Edward's knuckles go even whiter on the steering wheel, gripping it so hard that I was surprised he didn't crush it.

When we got out of the car in front of the Cullen house I could hear angry voices coming from inside. I looked at Edward and saw he was frowning. I raised my eyebrows but he shortly shook his head and led us inside.

Everyone was in the living room. Most of the vampires were sitting on the sofa or in the armchairs, the only two standing were Carlisle and Rosalie. They were facing each other, and were apparently in a middle of a heated argument.

„We are family, Rosalie, and we act like it," Carlisle was saying calmly but his expression was hard.

Rosalie looked like she wanted to say something but was interrupted by Edward's growl. She threw him a glare and strode toward the back door.

„You will stay here," said Carlisle firmly.

Rosalie stopped, turned around and without a word walked a few steps back into the living room. She stayed by the door though, leaning against the wall with her arms across her chest. There was a flicker of satisfaction on her face before she composed it back into an angry expression. She then threw another murderous glare at Edward, who rolled his eyes. I lifted my eyebrows, silently asking him what was all that about, but he just shook his head and turned his attention to Amelia and Carlisle.

Amelia had taken a seat in an armchair previously occupied by Alice, who had stood up and went to sit on the floor with Jasper, leaning against his chest. Edward then sat into the other amrchair, pulling me into his lap. He shifted me slightly so I would feel more comfortable and then looked questioningly at Alice. Her usual cheerful demeanour was now replaced by tenseness and she was frowning. They exchanged a long look which was interupted by Emmett's impatient grunt.

„So," Amelia started, interrupting the long silence, „I think it would be best, if someone told us exactly what happened."

„Alice had a vision of three unknown vampires heading our direction," Carlisle repeated what Edward had said before. „That alone wouldn't usually be of much importance but one of them seems to be determined to get to Bella's house. Unless we do something about it, he will succeed and it would end in a massacre." His last words were nearly drowned by Edward's growl.

„But why would they go after me?" I asked again in a shaking voice, hoping for better answer than last time. I looked at Alice who shook her head sadly.

„I don't know, Bella. I can only see what will happen, not why."

„But the future is not as clear now," Edward stated, still looking at Alice.

„No, it changed when we decided to intervene," she said, nodding. „It's not clear now, because we still haven't agreed on a plan."

„So, what are we going to do?" asked Jasper, who was now gently rubbing Alice's shoulders in an attempt to calm her down. He was probably using his Gift too, because her face relaxed and she gave him a slight grateful smile.

„It's simple," said Emmett, shrugging. „We'll fight. There is seven of us and only three of them. It should be a piece of cake." He sounded pretty confident and even excited.

„I would very much like to avoid that," said Carlisle firmly. „I think we should try to talk to them first to see if we can manage to convince them to give up their pursuit."

Alice was shaking her head. „I don't think that will work." All heads turned to her. She was staring ahead, her eyes glazed. She was clearly having another vision. „I can still see him trying to get to her." She fell quiet, concentrating on her vision. Edward hissed in frustration and right then Alice snapped back to present. „But fighting wouldn't be wise either." She said that with a shudder.

„How long do we have?" I asked, leaning into Edward's chest, afraid of the answer.

„At least a couple of days," said Alice, frowning. „There is going to be a thunderstorm and it will be at night. I can see no thunderstorms for at least two more days."

I relaxed slightly and so did everyone else. We still had some time to think of a plan.

„We should have invited Toby for the meeting," Esme piped up but Amelia shook her head.

„No, he needs his time off," she said and then she looked at me. „But I think we should inform your father, Bella."

My eyes popped out and I could feel Edward's body stiffen. „Inform… about… what?" I stammered out stupidly.

„About everything he still doesn't know," she answered calmly. „Whatever we decide to do, it will affect him as well. We need to protect him, too. He would ask too many questions and we would have to create more and more lies. It would be waste of our time and energy which we're now going to need. And I think he deserves the whole truth."

„You mean to tell him about our family," said Edward through gritted teeth. The others started murmuring amongst themselves though it was too low for me to understand. I could clearly hear an angry hiss from where Rosalie was standing.

„He's human," she said angrily, taking a few steps toward us and stopping right behind Emmett who was sitting on the couch next to Esme and Carlisle. „If someone finds out that he knows, we will have the Volturi on us in no time."

„He already knows about the existence of vampires," I admitted sheepishly, earning surprised looks from the others. „I mentioned it when I told him about other magical beings a couple years ago. Of course he doesn't know how to recognize a vampire or that there is a whole coven right under his nose," I added with a grimace.

„I wouldn't worry about the Volturi," said Amelia, still quite calm despite the circumstances. „He's part of this world through Bella, which gives him our protection. Though I agree that it would be for the best if they never found out, or at least until the situation in Britain is dealt with. We certainly don't want too many people to know about Bella's hiding place, do we?"

„But how do we tell him?" I asked, worried. I was sure he wouldn't be thrilled to find out that his daughter had been hanging out with vampires.

Alice closed her eyes in concetration, trying to see Charlie's reaction. After a few seconds she opened her eyes again and sighed. „It depends on who will tell him." Both her and Edward's head turned to Carlisle. „You and Esme would be the best choice, I think. And Bella, of course," she continued, nodding to herself. „But I, Jasper and Amelia should be near, just in case."

„I will be near, too," said Edward resolutely, squeezing my hand.

I swallowed nervously and looked around. „When do you want to do it?"

„Well," said Amelia and stood up, „now is as good a time as any."

* * *

I was a nervous wreck. I was sitting in Carlisle's car on our way to Charlie's together with Carlisle, Esme and Amelia who had decided to be with us inside rather than wait outside the house. All three of them were discussing the best way to tell Charlie that the Cullens are vampires and that three other vampires were after his only daughter.

We had decided to put Charlie into good mood so Carlisle brought with him a bottle of a very expensive French cognac, which Alice had bought following an inexplicable hunch about a week ago.

Carlisle parked his car right next to my truck. Emmett had picked it up from the Webers before he went hunting with Rosalie. He'd complained a bit that he would „miss the fun" but Rosalie was his top priority especially since she was still angry about the fact that we'd decided to tell my father about her family.

Charlie was surprised by the unexpected visitors but invited them inside with a friendly smile on his face. He looked curious and even a bit suspicious and kept throwing glances in my direction. He frowned, clearly noticing that I was nervous. Thanking Carlisle for the cognac, he motioned his free hand toward the kitchen table and we all sat down. I fought the urge to look at the window since I knew Edward, Alice and Jasper were outside, monitoring the situation. I wished Edward could be here to keep me calm but I knew that Charlie might react worse to the news had he been present.

„Alright," said Charlie when he sat down on a chair he'd brought from the living room. „Not saying I'm not glad to see you all but I suppose this is not an ordinary get-to-know-you visit, is it?"

„No, Charlie, it's not," said Amelia.

„What is it about then?" He glanced at me again and then at Carlisle and Esme who were holding hands and wearing grave expressions.

„Your daughter is in danger," said Carlisle, looking directly in my father's eyes.

Charlie went pale, his eyes wide. „They… they found her."

„Not exactly," said Amelia and then she looked at me, expecting me to continue. I avoided her eyes, looking at my hands instead. I couldn't make myself say it.

„Bella?" I heard Charlie say in a low voice. „What happened?"

„We believe that three vampires are trying to get to your daugher," said Amelia bluntly. She'd apparently had enough of my evasive behaviour. I looked up and saw my dad staring at Amelia with wide eyes and mouth hanging open.

Then he suddenly started laughing so hard that he leaned back against the back rest of his chair, hands on his thighs. I looked nervously at Amelia who pressed her lips into a tight line, waiting for Charlie to stop laughing. Carlisle and Esme exchanged nervous glances and Esme then gently squeezed my hand.

After a few moments Charlie's laughter suddenly stopped and he looked carefully at the four of us, studying our expressions. „Please, tell me you were joking."

„I already told you vampires existed, remember?" I said, finally mustering the courage to speak up. „I told you about vampires, werewolves, unicorns, dragons… They all exist."

„Yes, but… in your world. Not… not here in Forks," he stammered, shaking his head as if to wake up from a bad dream.

I took a deep breath and moved closer to him, placing my hand over his. „I'm a witch, Dad. Here in Forks. There are magical beings and creatures everywhere around us, only hidden from you. They exist, you just don't know about them."

„There have been vampires in Forks for some time now, Charlie," said Carlisle somberly. „You've even met them."

„Nonsense," said Charlie, shaking his head again. „I would've known if I saw a vampire."

„Vampires don't look the same way you've seen in movies, Dad," I said with a sigh. „They don't have fangs, for example. They are pale, their skin is ice cold and they are very attractive. Most of them have red eyes but they are some whose eyes are gold." I'd been watching him the whole time I spoke. His face went pale again as his eyes flitted from me to Amelia and then remained on Carlisle and Esme.

„No," he gasped and his hand fell on his chest.

„Dad!"

„Charlie, you need to calm down," said Carlisle urgently. „Your pulse is too high."

Esme stood up and quickly went to get a glass of water. When she placed it in front of Charlie, he pulled away from her as far as he could. Carlisle continued to watch him with worried expression. Suddenly Charlie's face and body started to relax. Carlisle exhaled in relief, muttering something under his breath.

Charlie grasped the glass of water but didn't drink of it. He stared into the glass for several moments, then looked up, his eyes fixated on Carlisle. „You're vampires."

„Yes."

Charlie inhaled with a hiss and then looked at me. „You'll stay away from them," he said firmly, his eyes full of anger, determination and fear.

I groaned, closing my eyes for a second in an attempt to calm myself. „I won't."

„Listen to me, young lady…"

„No, you listen to me, Dad!" I stood up but Esme touched my arm to restrain me so I sat down again. Before I could continue arguing with my father, Carlisle started to speak in a measured, calm voice.

„It's true that I and my family are vampires. But we are different from others of our kind. We don't harm humans, we feed on animal blood." Charlie's eyes went wide at that. „Bella's become very much part of my family in the past few weeks and we would do anything to protect her and you as well. That's why we decided to tell you our secret. She's in danger and so are you."

Charlie stared at Carlisle after his speech, clearly thinking about everything Carlisle had just said. „You don't hurt people?"

„No, we don't."

„Well, you should've started with that," he said gruffly but I sighed in relief. The worst was over. „The other… _vampires_ , I take it they're not animal drinkers."

„No, they're not," said Carlisle and he glanced up at the ceiling. „But I think it would be better if the rest of my family joined us, if you don't mind, Charlie."

Charlie's eyes narrowed but then he looked at something behind my back. I turned around to see Edward and Alice standing in the kitchen doorframe. I could glimpse Jasper's hair a few steps behind them. „You've been here all the time," said Charlie suspiciously.

„Yes, Sir," said Edward apologetically. Then he took a few steps and stopped right behind my chair.

„We didn't want to overwhelm you, Charlie," piped up Alice, beaming brightly at my father. She and Jasper stayed in the doorframe.

Charlie grumbled something in response but his eyes stayed fixated on Edward.

Amelia cleared her throat and we all turned to her. „There will be time for Charlie's questions later. Now we need to discuss what we are going to do."

„We need to watch this house and ours," said Edward, gripping tightly the back of my chair. „We will take turns – "

„I can protect her," Charlie cut in. When he saw our incredilous looks, he added more hesitantly, „There are ways to kill a vampire, aren't there? Wooden stakes or…"

„No, Charlie," said Carlisle quietly. „I'm afraid they're all myths."

„There are a very few ways to kill a vampire," said Amelia. „One of them is another vampire."

„Isn't there a magical way to do it?"

Amelia sighed. „Yes, there is. But the spell is dangerous and only highly trained wizards can do it. We don't usually cross paths with vampires, we tend to avoid each other."

Charlie was quiet for a few moments, looking lost in thoughts. I could feel Edward's fingers gently gripping my shoulder, which didn't escape Charlie's notice because he snapped out of his thoughts and frowned. Then he turned his head to Carlisle. „How do you know about the danger anyway?"

It was Alice who answered.

„I saw it," she said simply, taking a few steps into the kitchen, leaving Jasper standing by the door. Seeing Charlie's perplexed expression, she smiled slightly. „You know, some of us have special talents. We call it „Gifts". For example I can see the future, Jasper can feel and manipulate emotions and Edward can read minds."

Charlie's eyes nearly fell out of their sockets. „Read minds?!"

I could hear Edward chuckle behind me. „Don't worry, Sir. I can't read you or your daugher." I could hear a hint of frustration in his voice and I had to smile.

„He can't read magical people, we have some sort of protection in us that prevents it," I explained more clearly.

„But… I'm not magical," Charlie pointed out.

„Well, it seems that you have some magic in you after all," I said with a shrug.

Charlie seemed somewhat pleased with himself and leaned back in his chair. He looked more relaxed now though I wasn't sure if it wasn't thanks to Jasper's calming influence. Either way we could continue making some plans and it seemed the others came to the same conclusion.

„So as I said before, we need to watch over Bella and Charlie constantly now," Edward resumed his talk from before Charlie had interrupted him. „We should stay home next week so Bella wouldn't be left alone. Some of us should – " He stopped and I looked up at him to see that he was now watching Carlisle with a frown. „Why not?"

„It would look suspicious if all of you stayed home and we can't afford it. Not now, when Bella is leaving the school. We need you there more than ever, you know that."

„I don't care about school!" Edward nearly growled and I could feel a wave of calm spreading across the room. Edward turned to glare at Jasper, who just shrugged. I reached to his hand on my shoulder which had clenched into a fist. I placed my hand over his, trying to smooth it. His fingers relaxed but I could feel the rage rolling off of him despite Jasper's influence.

„Carlisle's right," said Amelia. „Until Alice sees anything new, we have to go on with our lives." Edward's hand clenched into a fist again but Amelia went on before he could interrupt her. „It doesn't mean that Bella should be left alone, you're right about that."

„We've already agreed that she would stay with me," said Esme. „She won't be alone."

„What about my Dad?" I asked anxiously, biting my lower lip.

„I will be at work, I can take care of myself," huffed Charlie.

„Yes. I don't think we should worry about you while you're at work," agreed Carlisle. „They wouldn't go near the town in the daytime. They have to remain inconspicuous."

„And I still see them coming at night," Alice put in.

„Alright, I think we should go now," said Carlisle and stood up. „We need to discuss more detailed strategy later but at least two of us will stay outside of your house tonight."

„I'm staying," said Edward firmly. He'd calmed down a bit but when I looked up at him, his expression was hidden behind a blank mask.

Charlie opened his mouth to protest but then he saw something in Edward's expression that changed his mind. He just grumbled something, then shrugged and stood up to walk the others to the front door.


	22. Choice

**A/N: Hi! I think it's time to specify the timeline of this story. It's obviously much later than original HP books and even later that Twilight. I never had a specific year in my head but always thought it was around 2010. So to make it finally clear I decided to oficially say that my story takes place in 2010.**

 **Also thank you all who have added this story to alerts and favorites or even reviewed. I'm happy that someone actually enjoys what I write. So thank you!**

Chapter twenty-two

While I made dinner, Edward answered Charlie's questions about vampires in general. So far he'd told him about vampire strength and speed and about superhearing and supersight and also that vampires don't sleep. Charlie looked quite impressed.

„So your mind reading… how does it work?"

I placed the dinner in front of Charlie and sat down at the table with my own plate, curious about the answer as well. I'd never really asked Edward about the details of his Gift.

„I can usually hear everyone within the range of several miles," Edward said with a shrug. „The more familiar the „voice" is the farther I can hear it."

„So you can hear everyone around you, all the time?" Charlie's eyes were wide and I just now realised, what it must have been like for Edward. I'd always thought he could just pick whose thoughts he wanted to hear.

Edward nodded.

„But that's crazy!" I said, shaking my head. „I mean, it would drive me mad, hearing everyone all the time. How can you possibly concentrate on what's important?" I couldn't imagine how he could survive at school.

„Well, it was hard at first," he admitted with a slight smile. „Even after my first year as a vampire, I couldn't be among people at all. Even with only Carlisle it was very distracting. I often answered his thoughts, even those that weren't meant for me to hear. After the others joined us I learned to tune their thoughts out so now it's usually only a humming noise unless I want to hear them."

„So what do you hear now?" asked Charlie, curiousity clearly written on his face.

„Your curiosity and caution…" When he saw Charlie's confused expression he chuckled and explained. „I can't hear your thoughts but I can hear your feelings. I can also hear Emmett nearby in the woods. He volunteered to be the first one to watch over you since he wasn't here before. He's thinking about his hunt with Rosalie… right, I don't really want to see _that_!" He looked disgusted and threw a glare at the wall opposite him which I guessed was Emmett's direction.

Charlie and I laughed and I placed my hand on Edward's arm. „Now I really feel sorry for you. I think I can imagine what he's thinking about."

„Does he realize you can hear him?" asked Charlie with an amused expression.

„Of course he does," said Edward with a snort. „He enjoys annoying me." He rolled his eyes. „I can also hear your neighbors arguing and an older couple driving through Forks to Port Angeles."

Charlie was quiet for a while, eating his dinner. He looked thoughtful and kept glancing between me and Edward.

„You're not really seventeen, are you?" he asked after a few minutes of silence.

Edward stiffened. „Well, technically I am," he said, watching Charlie carefully.

„Is it bad?" Edward's face remained unreadable so Charlie looked at me. „Do you know?" I nodded. Charlie then leaned back in his chair with his arms across his chest. „Right. Tell me."

Edward's hand clenched into a fist and he took a deep breath. „I was born in 1901."

Charlie gaped at him his mouth moving soundlessly. I looked at Edward anxiously. He was still watching my dad, his expression still unreadable.

„That's… that's," was all Charlie was capable of saying. Again, his eyes were flitting between me and Edward.

„Carlisle is about two hundred and fifty years older than Esme," said Edward in an even voice, though his hand was still clenched in a fist. I stared at him. That was news to me, too.

Charlie closed his eyes and slowly shook his head. „I think I'll pretend I never asked. Or better… I'll try to forget it," he said with a determination in his voice.

After dinner Edward stood up to leave, saying he would join Emmett outside. I walked him to the front door and after quietly promising me he would be back in my room later he left.

I did the dishes in silence, aware that Charlie was watching me the whole time. When I turned to tell him I was going to bed, he stood up. „Bella?"

„Yes?" I eyed him warily. He looked sad, resigned even.

He didn't say a word but walked over to me and hugged me tightly. I was suprised - that didn't happen very often – but hugged him back. After that he shuffled to the living room.

* * *

Monday morning Charlie went with me to the school to explain my situation – or at least the version we had agreed on – to the principal, Mr. Greene.

Mr. Greene, to my surprise, accepted everything I said without question. Maybe it was the fact that my dad was the Chief of Police that made him believe we wouldn't lie. Or maybe he was afraid of him. Either way we made the necessary arrangements so I could end the school immediately.

On our way back to the car we tried to avoid people but we had no such luck. The classes were about to start so we received many curious stares as we made our way to the cruiser as quickly as possible. When I looked up, I could see Edward standing across the parking lot with Alice, watching me intently. I gave him a small smile before getting in the car and then we drove away.

Charlie drove me straight to the Cullen house where Esme was already waiting for me on the porch. She hurried down the steps and after assuring Charlie that she would take care of me she led me inside. I felt like a five-year-old but decided to get along – I understood that Esme was trying to do anything to prove to Charlie that I was safe with her family.

Spending time with Esme was even better than I'd expected. She let me do what I wanted and when I told her that I wanted to try the meditation she even suggested a few ideas. For example that it would be better with some relaxing music. Unfortunatelly vampires apparently didn't need to relax – not with Jasper around - because there was no relaxing music anywhere in their house. Not even Edward had any in his ridiculously large music collection.

But Esme didn't let that little problem discourage her.

„Never mind, Bella! We just buy it online and download it into our computer."

Before I had time to react we were on our way upstairs. We entered a room Edward had told me was Esme's office but it looked more like an atelier. There were two easels and a huge table that was covered with plans and drawings.

„I like designing houses and interiors," she explained when she saw me looking around. She sat down at a desk in a corner with a laptop on it.

„Uhm… I'll pay for it," I mumbled, embarrassed.

„Nonsense, honey, it's no trouble," she smiled and quickly typed something on the keyboard. „Besides, we already have an online account on a few music stores."

I sighed in resignation. I really didn't know how to buy things on the internet and it was only a small amount of money anyway. „Thank you."

After a few more minutes Esme gave me a small square box which I recognized as an iPod. Renee had tried to convince me that I needed one for my birthday last year but I talked her out of it since it would have been useless at Hogwarts. She'd given me clothes instead.

„You can borrow it and listen to the music while doing your meditation," Esme said, easing my worries about another gift. I thanked her again and then she suggested I used Edward's room for my meditation.

I realised that I hadn't been alone for more than a couple of minutes in the last three days. I lay down on Edward's couch and for a few minutes I just enjoyed the feeling that I was finally alone. Though I liked that Edward was with me at night, I just needed some time for myself as well.

After a while I got up and following the manual I had printed out a few days ago I grabbed a cushion from the couch, put it on the floor and sat on it with my legs crossed. I put earbuds into my ears, turned on the iPod and let myself lose in the slow tones of the music. I didn't fall asleep, instead I concentrated on my breathing.

I stayed like that for half an hour, though it seemed much longer. I felt more refreshed than after a good night sleep. For a while I stayed in his room just enjoying the quiet and Edward's scent that was wafting everywhere around me.

I stayed in Edward's room and pulled my Hogwarts books out of the backpack I'd brought with me. Still in the same position, that means sitting on the cushion and leaning my back against the couch, I started reading Toby's list of defensive spells he'd given me on Saturday. I compared the list with spells I already knew from school and with those I'd learned on my own before I'd met Toby and checked off those that matched.

I worked without a break until a light knock on the door made me look up.

„Bella?" Esme peeked in and then smiled sheepishly. „I'm sorry to disturb you."

„It's okay, Esme," I said, stretching my stiff back. „Is something wrong?"

„Not at all," she said, taking a step inside. „I just wanted to ask you what you'd like for lunch."

„Oh, I didn't realise I've been here so long." I looked at the watch and saw it was nearly noon. „And don't worry about my lunch, I can fix something for myself," I assured her with a smile.

„Well, the fridge is full of fresh food, you can take whatever you want," she offered and then hesitated. „But there was something else I wanted to ask you as well."

„What is it?"

She sat on the edge of the couch looking somewhat embarrassed. „I was wondering if you could teach me how to cook."

* * *

Ten minutes later we were standing in the kitchen in front of the fridge, discussing what would be the best meal to start with. I was a beginner myself so we'd decided to experiment with cooking together. It turned out to be quite fun. Esme was an easy-going and friendly person and soon we were chatting and laughing like old friends.

We decided to make Spaghetti Carbonara since I already knew how to make it and it was relatively simple. While we were working Esme told me that she had always bought food for children in hospital but she'd always wanted to cook it herself, only she wasn't able to taste it and was afraid it wouldn't be good.

„Didn't you cook when you were human?" I asked when we were finished and I had a plate full of delicious looking spaghetti on the table in front of me. I decided to take the rest of the meal to Charlie later so I wouldn't have to make dinner.

„I think I did but I don't really remember it," she smiled slightly, sitting down opposite me. „Human memories fade, you know."

I nodded but couldn't suppress my curiosity. „What was your human life like?"

Esme looked thoughtful for a minute like she was deciding what to tell me.

„I had a happy childhood," she began with a slight smile. „I grew up on a farm outside of Columbus. I remember that I had a hard time to behave like the lady my parents expected me to be. I did some very unladylike things like climbing trees or sneaking out of the house at night in summer to go swimming in a nearby pond alone."

I laughed. I couldn't quite imagine a rebelious Esme.

„When I was sixteen I fell off a tree and broke my leg. I had to go to hospital and there I met a very handsome, young looking doctor." She paused and there was a twinkle in her eyes. „He was very kind and thoughtful and he always listened to what I had to say."

I frowned. „It was Carlisle?"

„Yes," she beamed at me and then her face fell a little. „Unfortunately he left town soon after I was released from the hospital. But somehow I never forgot him. After some time all my friends were married but I still waited for the one who would capture my heart…" she sighed. „I think I unconsciously compared every man that was interested in me to Carlisle."

I ate my lunch, completely immersed in Esme's story.

„After graduation I wanted to work as a teacher by my father was strongly against it. Instead he persuaded me to marry the son of a family friend. I finally agreed just to please my father." She sighed again and I knew that her story had just turned for the worse.

„Altough Charles Evenson seemed to be a nice man in public, in reality he was quite different…" She paused again, taking a deep breath.

I blinked in horror. „Did he… did he abuse you?"

„Yes."

„I'm so sorry, Esme. You don't have to – "

„It's alright, Bella," she assured me. „I want to tell you.

„I couldn't return to my parents, they just told me to be a good wife and keep quiet. Fortunately Charles soon left to fight in the War and I was left alone but it was a huge relief. Sometimes I even wished he would never return…" she admitted sheepisly. I couldn't blame her. I felt angry just thinking that someone would hurt this kind, gentle woman.

„Of course he came back and it was even worse than ever before." She fell quiet for a while, staring somewhere above my shoulder and I could only imagine what was she reliving right now. „A year after his return I found out I was pregnant." I felt my eyes go wide with surprise. „I knew I just couldn't bring a baby anywhere near him so I ran away…

I went to Milwaukee to live with my cousin but Charles found me there. So I fled again this time to Ashland. I needed money so I took a job as a teacher…" She smiled slightly. „I finally did something I wanted to do. I tried to create a home for my baby. When my boy was born, I was so happy… He was so beautiful…" she whispered and I was afraid of what would come next. „But two day after he was born, he died of lung fever… I couldn't take it… I felt like I'd lost everything. I couldn't see any way out so I… jumped off a cliff."

I gasped. „What? But… But Edward said you fell."

„Always the gentleman," she said with a slight smile. „Anyway I woke up in flames. Or at least that was what I thought. When it was over I opened my eyes and found the man of my dreams leaning over me and explaining what had happened to me."

I wiped out the tears that I just realized had been running down my cheeks for some time.

„So now you are happy?" I asked, sniffing. Esme stood up and then she disappeared and was back again in about three seconds, handing me a tissue. „Thanks," I mumbled after Esme sat down again.

„Yes, Bella. Now I am happy," she smiled at me and I could see the sincerity in her eyes. „I have a husband I love and family I've always wanted. It's not always easy but it's worth it."

I was quiet for a while, finally finishing my lunch. „What happened to Charles?"

„He died several years after I was changed," she said in an emotionless voice but I could see a flicker of what looked like satisfaction in her eyes.

„How did he die?" For some reason I hoped his death was very painful.

It took a moment before Esme answered. „He was killed."

„Did you…?"

„No." Before I could ask she added quickly, „It doesn't matter who did it, Bella. He died before he could hurt others like me."

I had the feeling that she knew who did it but I didn't want to pry.

I stood up to do the dishes but Esme beat me to it. In a minute the kitchen was pristine again and there was a box with leftover spaghetti for Charlie on the kitchen counter.

* * *

About an hour later I was sitting in the living room with a Transfiguration book, trying to find some spells useful for fighting, and Esme was drawing in her sketchbook. We sat in comfortable silence, immersed in our activities.

After a while I closed my eyes and sighed in frustration. I couldn't concentrate. Something had been bothering me in the past few days but I'd always pushed it aside in my mind and tried to ignore it. But after hearing Esme's story it came back in full force.

„Is everything alright?" asked Esme who of course noticed my frustration.

„Sure," I started to say but then changed my mind. Maybe Esme was the right person to talk to about it. „Actually… there is something I wanted to ask you," I said, biting my lip.

„What is it?" She put aside her sketchbook so now I had her full attention.

I suddenly didn't know how to say it. I felt embarrassed and nervous so I lowered my gaze to my hands that were folded in my lap. I took a deep breath. „I - I heard that when a vampire falls in love, that it's for eternity." I didn't look at Esme and went on. „So I was wondering what would happen if the person didn't love him back? Would he be alone forever? Is it even possible not to love him back? Does the other person have a choice?" I was aware that I was babbling and I wondered if it even made sense. I could feel my face going red.

From the corner of my eye I could see Esme standing up from her armchair and walking over to me. She sat up next to me and put a comforting arm around my shoulders.

„Bella, you always have a choice. Edward would never force you into anything you wouldn't feel comfortable with." I grimaced. Of course she would guess who I'd been talking about. „I'm sure if you told him, he would leave you alone." There was a sadness in her voice.

„I don't want him to leave me," I said fervently, finally looking up to her. „It's just… it's so confusing. And I don't really see how it could work. I mean… I'm human. Yes, I have magic but I'm still human. I don't even understand what he sees in me. I'm not _that_ special."

To my surprise, Esme was smiling. „It will work out somehow, Bella. Take your time, both of you. Get to know each other, spend more time together and most importantly – follow your heart."

„But what if we don't have time? The bad vampires are coming for me and then there is the war in Britain…"

„The vampires will be taken care of. We know about them so we will be ready," she said with a confidence.

„I wish I could be as optimistic as you," I said with a sigh.

„Everything will work out, you'll see," she assured me again and gently patted my hand.

I thought about it for a while and then looked at her. „Esme? Do you think you can somehow keep this conversation from Edward?" I asked anxiously.

She laughed lightly. „Don't worry, Bella. We all have our own ways of keeping him from our heads."

* * *

The others arrived from school later this afternoon but Edward wasn't with them.

„He had some errands to run," said Alice cryptically. She sat down next to me on the couch and fixed her big eyes on me. The others said hi to me and went to busy themselves with their usual activities. Emmett sprawled out on the other couch, grabbed the remote control and started flicking through the tv channels, while Jasper kissed Alice's forehead and went upstairs. Rosalie strode right into the garage, completely ignoring my presence.

„What errands?"

Alice just smiled and didn't answer. I scowled at her. She ignored me and started blabbing about school.

„Of course there are rumours about why you left so suddenly. Some say your mom's dying or that you're ill. Lauren Mallory even came up with something as ridiculous as you being pregnant."

I snorted. „Seriously. How could anyone believe _that_?"

„Edward said that no one really does but they all think it's strange you left without a word."

„But no one suspects anything unnatural, right?"

„No. And by the end of the week they'll find other things to gossip about."

* * *

Edward arrived about an hour and a half later.

„So, where have you been?" I asked as soon as we were in his room to have some privacy. Or at least as much privacy as you can get in a house full of vampires.

„You were in my room," he said, sounding pleased and completely ignoring my question.

„Edward," I said through gritted teeth. I hated when they did this and my patience had worn off.

„Impatient, are we?" He smirked and went to sit on the couch, beckoning me to join him. I rolled my eyes and sat down next to him. „I have something for you," he started and then put a finger on my mouth to stop my complaint. „Please, let me explain before you say no."

I frowned but nodded. I would let him explain and then refuse whatever he had for me. He waited a few more seconds and then pulled out a box from his backpack. My eyes widened when I saw what it was.

„I discussed it with Charlie first," he said, opening the box. There was an expensive looking silver cell phone in it. „He said it was a great idea and even offered to pay half of the price. I told him it wasn't necessary but he insisted."

I groaned in frustration. I knew Charlie didn't have much money to spare which had gotten even worse since I moved in with him.

„He wants to help and since he can't do much else…" Edward explained.

„But I don't really need it," I said quickly before Edward could stop me. „I mean, I'm never left alone. There is always someone with me who has a phone so they'll be able to call you when something happens."

„I don't want to take chances. And I want to be able to contact you whenever I feel like talking to you."

„You can just come to see me."

„Not when I'm at school." Then he sighed and looked into my eyes. „Why are you so difficult about receiving gifts, Bella? Alice warned me that you wouldn't be happy about it but I don't really understand why."

I looked down at my hands, thinking of the best way to explain it. „It's because… because you do so much for me. All of you." I looked up at him and saw him looking confused. „And I have nothing to give you back. It seems unfair and I…" I stopped because he was watching me with a strange expression. „What?"

„Bella. It's me who is in debt here," he said quietly and with such intensity that it made me shiver. „You gave me something that no one else before could."

„But I didn't…"

He placed his hands on both sides of my head and then silenced me with a kiss. It wasn't like all the light kisses before. His lips moved against mine slowly and gently and despite the coldness I felt heat spreading through my body. But most importantly: he wasn't about to pull away. Without thinking I threw my arms around his neck and grabbed his hair to pull him even closer to me. I realized too late that it had been a mistake.

He froze and stopped breathing, pulling just a few inches away, still holding my head. His expression was wild, his eyes darker with hunger. I tried to pull away but he wouldn't let go of my head.

„Edward…"

„Just… give me a minute," he said through his gritted teeth. Then he closed his eyes, slowly shaking his head.

I waited, watching his expression gradually relax. He took a deep breath through his nose and opened his eyes. The hunger was gone and he looked calm again.

„I'm sorry," I mumbled feeling embarrassed.

„It's alright." His voice was still guarded. „I just didn't expect your reaction."

„Neither did I."

The corners of his lips twitched in amusement and he finally let go of my head so he could take my hands in both of his instead. „Just try to avoid sudden movements next time."

„Easy for you to say," I muttered, looking at his hands holding mine. I heard him chuckle and when I looked up I saw his face was smug.

„That good, huh?" he said with a grin. I rolled my eyes and his smile grew even wider. It was impossible to keep a straight face so soon we were both grinning like idiots. His eyes were shining with joy and happiness and I felt sudden warmth spreading through my chest. Then I realized that maybe Esme had been wrong. Maybe I didn't have a choice after all.


	23. Curiosity

Chapter twenty-three

Edward drove me home later. We had agreed to pretend that I would stay a few more days in Forks to „pack my things and arrange flying tickets" so it wouldn't look suspicious if I was seen in town. We also needed the time for Amelia to arrange the Floo Network connection for Charlie's house and the Cullens.

We parked in front of our house and Edward inhaled sharply. I could see why. Once again there was another car parked next to the cruiser – the Blacks again.

„I suppose you're not going inside with me," I said with a sigh.

„No." His lips were pressed in a thin line – a clear sign of his disapproval of our visitors. „But I'll be close," he promised, his expression softening a little. I nodded and he kissed my forehead before I got out of the car. Then he drove home so he could come back on foot later.

I knew Jasper was somewhere in the woods behind our house since Charlie returned home from work so I knew we were safe. When I walked to the front door I wondered what could Billy Black want from me now. Would he threaten me or warn me against the Cullens again? I really wasn't in the mood for that.

I found Charlie, Billy and Jacob sitting at the kitchen table and fortunatelly the atmosphere wasn't as tense as last time the Blacks had been here. Charlie and Billy had each a can of beer in front of them and were chatting about a new fishing spot Billy had apparently discovered last weekend. Jacob was quietly gazing into his glass of soda, looking lost in thoughts.

I cleared my throat, announcing my arrival. „Hi," I said to all three of them and placed the box with the leftovers I'd brought with me on the counter. After they all answered I added, „I didn't know we would have visitors. I would've brought more food. But I guess we can order pizza…"

„It's alright, Bella, we won't be long," said Billy with a tight smile that didn't touch his eyes. „We just heard you were leaving Forks and Jacob wanted to say goodbye." I nodded, walking to the fridge to grab a can of soda for myself. „Why the sudden change of heart?" he asked with a suspicion in his voice when I leaned against the counter, facing them. „Has the rain gotten on your nerves that quickly?"

I took a sip from the can to have more time to think about my answer. I didn't know what Charlie had told him. „You know how it is… mom misses me and I've found out that Forks really isn't the right place for me," I finally said with a shrug.

„What about your _friends_? Won't you miss them?" He didn't bother hiding his sarcasm. I could see Charlie frowning at him.

„Of course I will," I said matter-of-factly. „But I can always come for a visit, can't I?"

Billy grumbled something but didn't pry further. Charlie eventually talked him into staying to watch a game of baseball on TV so I suppressed a sigh and ordered a pizza.

* * *

While eating dinner I tried to chat with Jacob but he gave me only one word answers. I frowned, confused. I remembered his chatty nature when he was here on my birthday. After Charlie and Billy returned back to the living room, I decided to find out what was bothering him.

„Are you okay, Jake?"

„Yeah, sure," he said but I could see he was distracted. I didn't press further but I didn't have to wait long before he sighed and looked at me. „Actually, not really. It sucks that you're leaving. I thought I would finally have a friend outside of the reservation." He grimaced and looked down at his hands on the table.

„You can always see me when I come to see Charlie. We can still be friends." I tried to cheer him up but it didn't work.

„I know. It's just that… I need to talk to someone and well… there's no one I can talk to in the reservation."

„Okay. What's going on, Jacob?"

He was quiet for a while, possibly trying to find a way to tell me what had been bothering him. Finally he looked up at me and sighed. „It's complicated," he started and paused again. I raised my eyebrows and he went on. „There is this gang of older boys in La Push. Their leader, Sam Uley, is nineteen and… well, he's a little scary. He's really big and strong and kind of intimidating. He calls himself a protector of the people of La Push. First it was just him but in the last few months two others joined him. They're the same – big and strong… A few weeks ago, one of them, Paul, even beat up a boy from the Makah rez who was selling meth to kids." He paused again. „I mean, I know the guy probably deserved it but I heard that Paul looked really pissed off and out of control. He could have killed him or something."

I shuddered. I had an idea what it all was about but I knew I couldn't tell him that. Instead I maintained an expression of polite interest and listened.

„But you know what's the worst about it? That my dad and the other elders don't seem bothered by it. They actually seem proud. They even invited Sam to the tribal council. When I tried to talk to my dad about it he looked at me like… like there was a huge secret I'm missing and like he expected me to join the gang or something. I mean, I don't want to be like them. It freaks me out, you know."

I didn't really know what to say to that. I felt sorry for him but didn't know how to make him feel better. „I'm sorry to hear that, Jake," I finally said after a few moments. „But maybe you have nothing to worry about. I mean, it can't be that bad if your dad is okay with it, right?"

„Yeah, but… why would he want me to be like them? I have my own friends, why would _I_ want to be like them?"

„I don't know, Jake," I lied, hating myself for it. „I wish I could help you."

„It's okay, Bella. I just needed to talk to someone."

„What about your friends in La Push? Can't you talk to them? Maybe they can help you more than I."

„I did. They feel the same like me. I think I needed to talk to someone neutral," he said with a shrug. But I could see that he was now more relaxed.

* * *

Later that night I was lying in my bed, waiting for Edward to show up and thinking about everything Jacob had told me. It had felt terrible lying to him but I knew it was necessary. He wasn't supposed to know that vampires were real, not yet. He would find out sooner or later. I also felt bad that I couldn't tell him about me; again I'd had to lie to him. I had been so relieved when I could tell the whole truth to Charlie, relieved that I didn't have to lie anymore. But now there were other people close to me who couldn't know the truth.

Then I realized something else. According to Jacob, there were three „protectors" in La Push. That only meant that three men were already able to transform into wolves. I would have to tell Amelia as soon as I saw her.

„That must be some serious thinking you're doing right now."

I started and turned to the voice on my left. I hadn't heard Edward coming. He chuckled at my expression and walked over to my bed. He sat down next to me and leaned against the headboard, taking my hand.

„I didn't hear you coming," I admitted. „What took you so long?"

„I noticed," he grinned. „Jasper went hunting with Alice so I waited for Esme to replace him. We talked a little after she arrived and I waited for Charlie to go to bed."

„Talked about what?" I asked warily. I hoped Esme hadn't told him about our conversation. She'd promised.

„Nothing important, really," he said with an easy smile. I watched him closely but he seemed relaxed which he wouldn't have been, had he heard about my doubting my feelings for him. „Why?" He must have noticed something in my expression because now he looked suspicious.

„Just curious, that's all," I said, trying to look as innocent as possible. He watched my face for a minute but then let it go with a shrug.

„So, what were you thinking about when I got here?"

„Did you hear me talking to Jacob earlier?" I asked, knowing he probably had.

„Yes."

„There are three wolves now." I shifted a little and leaned my head against his shoulder. He kissed the top of my head.

„I know. We should probably inform Amelia or Toby."

„Yeah, that's what I was thinking about. And I hate lying to Jacob."

„You won't see him anymore." He sounded pleased.

„But Charlie probably will."

He was quiet for a while. „I heard Jacob's thoughts," he said and I could feel his eyes on my face. „That boy thinks he's in love with you."

I didn't expect that. „What?" I giggled. „He's not even fifteen yet. I'm too old for him."

„It's not unusual for boys his age to fall for older women."

„Hey!" I frowned, turning my head so I could see his face. He was smirking. „You make it sound like I was at least fifty."

„I'm sorry," he chuckled. „Compared to my age you are like a toddler."

„Right," I snorted. „But that makes you a pedophile."

He laughed. „But you definitely don't _look_ like a toddler so that makes me just a perverse old man."

We both laughed.

„But you don't look like an old man so that makes it alright." He smiled down at me and then his eyes snapped toward the window, though his smile didn't falter.

„What?"

„It's just something Esme's thinking about."

„Can she hear us?"

„Yes. But she's trying not to listen."

I bit my lip, lowering my eyes to our intertwined hands. „She told me about her human life," I said quietly, „and I realized I don't know anything about yours." I looked up at him again and he was watching me intently.

„Aren't you tired?"

I was a little but I shook my head. He continued watching my face for a few moments before he started to speak.

„I don't remember much of my human life. Carlisle thinks it's because of the fever I had when I was dying." He paused, now looking at the wall opposite my bed. „I know I was born as Edward Anthony Masen in Chicago on 20th of June 1901. I remember my mother, Elizabeth, the best but I have no memory of my father. I think it's because we weren't as close as I was with my mother. I know he's name was Edward too and that he was a lawyer. He must have been working a lot and that's probably why I don't remember him; he wasn't home very often."

I listened to his velvet voice, trying to imagine Edward as a human boy of the early 20th century. I was sure he'd been as charming back then as he was now.

„I vaguely remember taking piano lessons when I was little," he went on, his voice a little distant. „When I was older, I wanted to become a soldier – the War was raging in Europe and I was obsessed with joining the army. I couldn't wait for my eighteenth birthday so I could enlist. My mother tried to talk me out of it… But then the influenza hit Chicago and well, you know the rest. Both my parents died and I was saved by Carlisle."

He fell quiet but I wanted to know more. „What did you think had happened to you when you woke up?"

I felt him smiling in my hair. „Another time, Bella. You _are_ tired."

I sighed, knowing it was pointless to argue with him. I lowered myself into the pillows, still holding his hand. He started humming the melody of the song he'd written for me and I drifted to sleep in a couple of minutes.

* * *

A knock on the door woke me up in the morning. I opened my eyes and looked around – my room was empty.

„Bells? Are you up?"

„I am now," I answered with a sigh and scrambled out of my bed, rubbing my face.

The door opened and Charlie stuck his head inside. „I'm sorry. I just wanted to know if you didn't want a ride to the Cullens." I couldn't use my truck anymore. Charlie and Billy had agreed on returning it back to the Blacks and they would send someone for it this afternoon.

„Uh…" I scratched my head and walked slowly to the door. I stopped next to Charlie and leaned against the doorframe. „I think someone will pick me up."

„Alright," he said but didn't walk away. He shifted his weight awkwardly, looking into my room. His eyes rested on the opened window but he didn't comment on it.

„What is it, Dad?"

His lips twitched slightly under his mustache and he walked to my bed and sat down. I stayed at the door, watching him curiously.

„Well, I was thinking a bit last night," he said, looking around my room like he was there for the first time. „The Blacks know about the Cullens, don't they?" Now he looked directly at me.

„Just Billy. Jake thinks it's a legend."

„How does he know?"

I sighed and went to sit next to him. I didn't know how much I was allowed to tell him about the Quileutes. „It's complicated, Dad." I told him in short about the Quileutes legends and that their ancestors had met the Cullens many years ago and formed the treaty. I left out the whole shapeshifter thing. When I finished, Charlie was quiet, looking thoughtful. „You can't tell Billy that you know about vampires, Dad," I said firmly. „They don't know about me and you wouldn't be able to explain how you know."

„But Billy knows that you know," he pointed out.

„Yeah." I frowned. „He probably thinks Edward told me."

He just nodded. It looked like he wanted to say something else but then thought better of it and stood up. „I'd better get going or I'll be late. You sure they'll pick you up? Maybe you should call them." He nodded toward my new phone laying on the bedside table.

Just then the doorbell rang. Charlie rolled his eyes and shuffled to get the door while I hurried to the bathroom.

When I got to the kitchen, Charlie had already left for work and Edward was sitting at the table with a small smile on his face. After breakfast he ran to his house with me on his back and my school trunk in his hand – Carlisle had wanted to look at some of my school books so I'd decided to take my trunk with me and leave it at the Cullens.

Today, Carlisle was staying home with me and Esme, having a night shift in the evening. I felt bad a little for ruining their private time together but they both assured me that they didn't mind.

Carlisle disappeared in his office with the books to study them and I spent the morning the same way as yesterday: meditating and studying. At noon I helped Esme making lunch again. She told me stories about some of the places the family had visited. There probably wasn't a place they hadn't seen and I found myself envious. I loved travelling but so far Britain was the fartherst and also only place I'd been outside of the United States.

When I was eating the steak and baked potatoes we'd prepared, Carlisle joined us in the kitchen with my copy of _Fantastic Beasts_ in his hand.

„Did you find anything interesting?" I asked him, motioning toward the book with my fork when he sat down opposite me.

„Yes," he said with a fascinated look on his face. „It's incredible that there are so many creatures we weren't aware of. And others we thought were just myths and fairy tales."

„Yeah, sometimes it still feels incredible even to me," I admitted with a smile.

„I can't believe that the Lochness monster really exists! Or the yetti!" Carlisle looked like a kid in front of a Christmas tree.

„Or unicorns, or dragons," I added. At that moment I heard a bang from the front of the house and half a second later Emmett barrelled into the kitchen, closely followed by Alice, Jasper and Edward. Another bang told me that Rosalie wouldn't join us again.

„Dragons? Did anyone mention a dragon?" Emmett boomed instead of a greeting.

„What are you all doing here?" I asked, confused. It was too early for them to be home.

„It's going to be sunny for the next three hours," said Alice and in one graceful move perched herself on the kitchen counter, „so Carlisle called to the school and told the principal there was a family emergency."

„Oh," I said lamely just as Edward plopped down into the chair next to me and kissed me on the cheek.

„So, the dragon? Did you see it?" asked Emmett impatiently, sitting in the chair on my other side, eagerly leaning toward me. Jasper leaned against the counter next to Alice and watched me curiously.

I continued eating my lunch, taking my time, which made Emmett even more impatient.

„Come on, Bella!"

I decided to put him out of his mysery. „Yes, Emmett, I did."

„Wow! What did it look like? Was it big? Did it breathe fire?"

„Yes, they were big and yes, they breathed fire."

„They?!"

I sighed and put down the knife and fork, having finally finished my lunch. Edward took my hand and the look on his face told me that he was nearly as eager to hear about the dragons as Emmett. Must have something to do with being a male.

„There was a competition at Hogwarts a few years ago and one of the tasks was to try and take an egg from an angry female dragon."

There was a collective gasp around me and I had to stifle a laugh. Edward looked alarmed, though Emmett's face was even more excited.

„Did you compete?"

„Of course she didn't," snapped Edward and then he looked at me anxiously. „You didn't, right?"

„No," I said with a smile, squeezing his hand reassuringly. He looked relieved. „There was the age limit and I wasn't of age." There was one underage participant in the Triwizard Tournament but I didn't feel like talking about that now. I wanted to keep the mood light.

„Too bad," said Emmett, looking disappointed. Edward rolled his eyes, reached over behind me and punched Emmett in the arm. „What? I'm sure she would have kicked the dragon's ass!"

I laughed and the others joined me; even Edward couldn't keep his face straight any longer.

„So, what other creatures did you see?" asked Carlisle, always eager for more knowledge.

I spent the next hour or so talking about some of the magical beasts and creatures I'd met. I purposely avoided the dangerous ones because I was sure that would definitely kill the mood. So I told them about unicorns, flying horses or nifflers.

They all looked fascinated but Emmett soon grew bored.

„Well, that's all nice but sort of boring. What about the more exciting ones?" he asked impatiently, after I'd finished describing the Weasley's family ghoul.

I narrowed my eyes at him, folding my arms across my chest. „You know, Emmett, you can always borrow that book," I waved toward the _Fantastic Beasts_ that lay on the table in front of Carlisle, „there are plenty of those in it."

„That's not the same," he rolled his eyes at me. „I want to hear your own experience."

I sighed, leaning back in my chair and trying to think of a creature that was both exciting and not that dangerous so it wouldn't kill the mood.

„I saw hippogriffs. They can be dangerous if you don't treat them right. Then there are centaurs in the Forest on the grounds. They are extremely proud and consider themselves above wizards and they tend to avoid us." I told them about Firenze, the centaur that had been banned from his herd and ended up teaching Divination.

Alice then seemed to be extremely interested in the subject of Divination so for another half an hour I had to tell her everything about the various methods of predicting the future.

„So you can predict future too?" asked Alice eagerly.

„Nope," I said with a grimace. „I've never been able to predict as much as what would be for breakfast the next day. And I got that right maybe twice in all those years."

Before Alice could say something, her eyes got their now familiar distant gaze and after a few seconds she looked at me with a smile. „Amelia Weber is coming."


	24. Plan

Chapter twenty-four

Amelia came to announce that the fireplaces had been connected to the Floo Network and gave us the address book that contained all wizarding households and institutions in the world and their official Floo names. Since it was a magical book, everytime there was a new household connected to the Network, the name magically appeared in it.

She had to leave soon so I assured her that I'd show the Cullens how to travel via the fireplaces. Before she left I remembered to inform her about the two new shape-shifters in La Push. She looked surprised but thanked me for letting her know.

Shortly after five Toby arrived to give me another of his lessons. He had already been informed about the three unknown vampires by Amelia and decided to make sure I had the strongest Shield charm possible because it was basically the only spell somehow effective on vampires that I was capable of. The Cullens insisted that they would protect me but Toby didn't want to take chances and I was grateful for his approach. I didn't like feeling defenceless.

First though Toby wanted to talk to us all before Carlisle had to leave for work. Once we were seated in the living room and Emmett persuaded Rosalie to join us, Toby sat down in the armchair that was facing the rest of us.

„So, I'd like to know what your plan about those vampires is. I suppose you do have a plan, right?"

„Well, we talked about it but since we still don't know when they'll arrive, we haven't discussed the details yet," admitted Carlisle. „We make sure Bella and Charlie are under our constant watch and we told Charlie all about us which makes things easier for everyone."

Toby nodded, apparently he'd already known about Charlie. „So, you still haven't had any new visions?" he asked, his eyes on Alice.

„No," she shook her head with a frustrated expression. „I'm trying to look but all I see is the storm and three vampires approaching Forks. At first I'd seen them attacking Bella but that changed when we decided to intervene. Now I don't know what they're going to do because there are so many decisions to make."

„And you can't determine when they'll arrive?"

„No. I still see no storm in the next few days, but storms are very hard to predict, they change their directions too much and too quickly."

„So it could be basically anytime?" I asked, worried. Edward was holding my hand and he now started tracing calming circles on my wrist with his thumb.

„Well, usually I can predict storms at least two days before they struck. But sometimes it's just unpredictable. Still though I will know at least a few hours before the storm."

That didn't sound very comforting. I looked at Edward but he was watching Alice intently, his lips pressed into a tight line.

„Alright," said Toby, interrupting the short silence. „Since we don't know when they come, we have to act like it was tonight. What can you do to protect them?"

My eyes flickered between Edward and Carlisle but surprisingly it was Jasper who spoke.

„I think it would be best to keep Bella here while we'll be dealing with them. Thanks to the fireplaces she can travel safely now so she won't leave her scent that would lead them here from her house."

„It still takes some time before the scent fades away," objected Edward. „If they arrived tonight, the scent would still be there."

„I don't see them coming tonight," piped Alice. „And it will be raining all night, the scent will be gone by the morning."

„Okay, so let's say that I'll stay here," I said slowly. „What about Charlie?"

„We can invite him here as well," said Esme and Carlisle nodded in agreement.

„Well, I'll ask him tonight," I said, but I didn't really think he would agree. I knew he didn't like spending night outside of his house except for his night shifts and they were rare now that he was the Chief.

„He'll take the night shift at work," said Alice. „I think he already decided this."

„Is he going to be safe there?" I asked. „What if they follow his scent to the station and then try to lure me there to save him?"

Alice was shaking her head before I finished my question.

„I don't see them following your father, Bella."

„Only because the decicion hasn't been made yet," I snapped at her but instantly regretted it. „I'm sorry, Alice," I muttered, burying my head in my hands. Edward put his arm around my shoulders and kissed my temple in a soothing way but then I felt small hands on my forearms. When I lifted my head, I saw Alice kneeling before me.

„Bella, we will protect you and your Dad. I promise."

„I think I have an idea," said Emmett, speaking for the first time. Everyone turned to look at him and I glanced at Edward, who was frowning.

„Hm, that's not bad, actually," said Edward and the rest of us groaned in frustration.

„Annoying, isn't it?" laughed Emmett but when he saw Rosalie's glare, he hurriedly explained his idea. „Well, he is friends with Quileutes, right?" I nodded. „And we know that no vampire who has any sense left would willingly follow that awful stench. So, he could spend the night at his friend's house. Only he'd have to come up with a good excuse." He shrugged and looked around to see what we all thought about it.

„I already said he doesn't like spending the night out of his house," I reminded him.

„And there is another problem," said Alice in a confused voice. „I don't see him."

„What do you mean?" asked Carlisle with a frown.

„Well, I could see him reluctantly agreeing to spend the night at Billy's and even leave for La Push but then… nothing." She sounded extremely frustrated.

„This is strange," said Edward. „How come you don't see what will happen to him? He can't just… disappear like that?"

„You think the wolves would kill him?" I panicked. They were supposed to be protectors, not killers.

"Alice closed her eyes with a concentrated look on her face. There was a complete silence and everyone was staring at her curiously. After what seemed like ages, but in reality it couldn't last more than a minute, she opened her eyes again.

"„No, I don't think they would kill him. I see him coming home from the reservation later with Billy Black," she said with a relieved smile. I breathed out in relief.

„But why can't you see him in La Push?" asked Edward, his tone as frustrated as Alice's.

„I don't know!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air.

Toby had been quiet for a long time but now he straightened in his chair. „How exactly do your visions work, Alice? Who do you see the best?"

„Um…" she hesitated, glancing at Edward and then at Carlisle. „I see vampires the best and then humans, though they're not as clear as vampires. I never tried any other species, simply because I never knew they existed."

„What about animals?"

„I see animals when we hunt with no problem," she shrugged.

„Hm," said Toby, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

At the same time Carlisle glanced at his watch, announcing that he had to go to the hospital and that he wanted to have a go with my Shield charm before he left. We decided to discuss Alice's visions and more details of the upcoming confrontation with the three vampires later and let Toby know what we'd come up with.

* * *

It was fun to see Carlisle so eager to try to penetrate my Shield. With that excited look on his face, he looked much younger and even more handsome than usual. Unfortunately for him, he was neither as strong as Emmett nor as fast as Edward so it was quite easy to fend him off on my first attempt.

After Carlisle left, it was me against Emmett. Edward apparently didn't think that Emmett would crush me to dust anymore and instead he and Jasper cheered me on loudly. I felt like I was at a Quidditch match. I tried to figure out the outcome from Alice's expression but she was as excited as always, having a huge smile plastered on her face – the previous discussion clearly forgotten - but otherwise giving nothing away.

First two attempts were useless. I was becoming more and more frustrated until Jasper had to step in and tone it down a bit. Emmett, on the other hand, was overexcited and was jumping up and down like the overgrown child he was.

„Don't want to give up yet, Bella?" he asked with a huge smirk on his face. „It's not a shame that I beat you, you know? I'm big and strong and you're so tiny. Just give up and admit you're a loser."

Even before Emmett finished taunting me, Edward was by my side. „Don't listen to him, Bella," he whispered in my ear, even though he had to know Emmett could hear him. „I know you can do it. Just imagine him laying on his back, like the big loser _he_ is."

„Ha!" boomed Emmett. „Unlike you, little brother, I'm still firmly on my feet!"

Edward ignored him and kissed me under my ear, making me shiver and blush. He winked at me and went back to stand next to Jasper and Alice. I glanced around and was surprised to see Rosalie sitting cross-legged on the garage roof. I hadn't seen he coming out with the rest of us. She ignored me but was watching Emmett intently, like she wanted to send him as much strength and energy as possible.

I took a deep breath and fixed my eyes back on Emmett. I tried to muster as much confidence as possible and clenched my wand in my hand. Edward had been sure I could do it. I refused to disappoint him again. I conjured the Shield, trying to focus on it's strength.

„Three, two, one, go!" Toby counted down.

I saw the big blur that was Emmett barreling at me and then… there was a grunt, two huge arms in the air and a loud thud.

Emmett was sitting on the ground, looking bewildered.

A loud howling and applaus errupted around me, I couldn't believe that just three people – well, vampires – could do such a racket. Only Esme was beaming proudly, without any kind of noise.

I felt my lips stretch into a wide smile, when I saw Emmett still sitting on the ground, eyes wide. I canceled the spell and at the same moment I was lifted off the ground. I gasped in surprise but all I could see was Edward's bright gold eyes shining with joy.

„I knew it! I knew you could do it!" He laughed and gently kissed me on my lips. He put me back down and I looked around and saw Emmett on his feet, glaring my way.

„Is he mad?" I asked Edward anxiously.

He laughed again.

„No, he just hates losing. He actually wants to do it again."

„You bet we will do it again," grumbled Emmett, pointing his finger at me. „That was just a stroke of luck, I know you can't do it twice in a row."

„We'll see, loser!" I grinned at him but this time he grinned back and ruffled my hair.

Sadly, he was right, because I couldn't do it twice in a row, just like he'd said. I hated the annoyingly smug look on his face so I was determined to practice even harder. Soon Toby announced that he had to go home and said we would start with non-verbal magic next time but I had to promise to keep trying to fend off Emmett as often as possible.

I was excited. Non-verbal magic was one step closer to apparating.

* * *

Later in the evening, after I finally showed the Cullens how the Floo Network works, I went home and told Charlie about the plan for the day of the unknown vampires' arrival. As I expected, he was very uncomfortable with the idea of spending the night outside of his own bed and when I told him that Alice couldn't see him if he went to La Push, he suggested to take the night shift at work. We agreed that we would discuss it in more depth with the Cullens the next day.

When Edward came to my room for the night, I decided that I needed to be distracted from some unpleasant thoughts and asked him to tell me more about his family. He didn't object and told me all I wanted to know, like the real last names of all the Cullens. Well, all except for Alice.

„Alice doesn't remember her name?" I asked, confused.

Edward sighed.

„Well, she actually doesn't remember her human life at all."

„Why?"

„We don't know. Carlisle has been thinking about everything that could have caused it but it could have been anything." Then he hesitated. „Though Alice has been thinking about something you and Amelia said once."

„What?" I tried to think about what we could have been talking about but couldn't remember anything concerning a memory loss.

„She thinks that someone could have wiped her memory when she was still human."

„Oh," I said with a gasp and sat up on my bed, looking down at Edward who was leaning against the headboard. Then a sudden idea made me freeze in shock. I was staring at his face, not really seeing it, and thinking of something that hadn't occured to me before.

„Bella?" He sounded alarmed.

„What if she knew a wizard or a witch when she was a human? What if she… or you… God! Why didn't I think of it before?!"

„What are you talking about?"

I shook my head slightly, refocusing back on Edward's confused face. „Just think about it. You and Alice and Jasper and all the vampires with special abilities. What if those abilities can be found in wizards? I mean, some of us have it… I know one that can change her appearance at will without having to use her wand. I heard about true Seers as well. God, I have to talk to Toby or Amelia about it." Then I frowned. „I wonder why we never discussed it in Defence lessons at school," I mumbled to myself.

„Wait, you think that… that I might be a wizard?" He looked excited at the idea.

„Well, I don't think so. Not a real wizard. But maybe someone from your human family could have been," I said slowly. „Like Charlie… he is a muggle but there is still enough magic in him to keep you from reading his thoughts."

„My mother…" he said so quietly that I almost didn't hear him. Then he frowned. „But… I would have remembered it, wouldn't I? On the other hand, she did ask Carlisle to change me. He always thought it was strange, that she looked like she knew what he was. But then again, why would she have wanted me to be a vampire? It doesn't make sense." He pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger as if it would help to make sense of things. I had an idea why his mother would have wanted something like that for her only child but I didn't say it aloud. Then he looked at me. „You're right. We need to talk to Toby and Amelia and Carlisle, too."

„Yeah," I agreed, snuggling back against his side. „But maybe it would be better to wait until the situation with the three vampires is over."

„You're right," Edward said again with a sigh. „We have to concentrate on keeping you and Charlie safe. Nothing's more important now." He put his arm around my shoulder, kissing my temple. I closed my eyes, enjoying the feeling of his lips against my skin. I loved when he did that but in my opinion he didn't do it often enough.

* * *

"„Oh my God, Bella, look at you! Your clothes are covered in ashes!"

Alice was standing in front of the Cullens' fireplace with her hands on her hips.

I rolled my eyes, stepping out of the fireplace. „Well, what did you expect, Alice? It's a fireplace." Then I took out my wand and cleaned myself with a simple cleaning spell. „Better?"

„Not really." She wrinkled her nose and reached her hand to dust the rest of the ashes I'd missed off my sweater. „There's no way I'd ever travel like that. It's so messy!"

„It's still faster than running," I argued, sticking my tongue at her.

Right at that moment, Edward appeared by my side, effectively saving me from further arguments with Alice. „Hello," he said with a smile and stooped down to kiss me on my mouth.

„Hi," I said breathlessly, smiling against his lips. From the corner of my eye I could see Alice walk away with a huff.

„So, what's your plan for today?" Edward asked, taking my hand and leading me to the kitchen where Esme was preparing an omelet for me. I told her I would have done it myself but she just waved me off, saying she wanted to practice cooking. I sighed and turned back to Edward.

„The same as usual, I suppose," I said, finally answering his question. „And maybe I could talk to Carlisle about what we talked about last night."

Edward nodded. „Yes. I know we said we should wait but I already told him myself. He finds it fascinating."

„It's a very interesting idea, Bella," said Carlisle, who was leaning against the doorway with his hands in his pockets. „I'd like to discuss it further with you, if you don't mind."

„Um, sure," I said with a smile.

After Emmett and Rosalie returned from their guarding duty – they'd followed Charlie to the station just to be sure he was safe – the rest of them left for school.

After spending all morning meditating and studying, I made lunch with Esme and sat down at the table to eat. Carlisle took the seat opposite me, folding his hands under his chin.

„So, you think that Edward's mother might have been magical?" he asked, his face all lit up and he looked like a scientist who just made a life-changing discovery.

„Well, I think we should discuss it with Toby or Amelia, but in my opinion it's only logical. I mean, Edward said that she looked like she knew you were a vampire."

„Yes, but she could have been just delirious. It happened only an hour before her death after all."

„Did she look delirious?"

„Well," Carlisle hesitated. „No. I thought she looked exceptionally lucid, considering her condition. But Edward was right. Why would she have wanted him to be a vampire, if she had known about us? We are naturally killers, after all."

„Maybe… maybe she knew you weren't like the others?" I suggested. „We did learn in school about animal eating vampires. She could have known that just by looking into your eyes."

„Yes, that's possible. But wouldn't she have tried to save her family in a magical way? Like getting them to safety before it all got out of control?"

„Maybe she just couldn't," I said with a shrug. We'd never really learned about American history at Hogwarts, professor Binns had concentrated mainly on the Goblins wars that had taken place mostly in Britain.

We were interupted by a text message I received from Edward. I read it, completely freezing in shock and fear. I knew it would happen but knowing the day was so close was something I still wasn't prepared for.

 _„Alice had a new vision. They're coming on Friday night. – Edward -."_

* * *

„So, what exactly are we going to do?" I finally asked when all the Cullens, Charlie and Amelia gathered in the Cullens' living room three hours after we'd received the message. Charlie had left the work early after I'd called him, demanding his presence. He didn't hesitate, probably hearing the urgency in my voice. Amelia had just gotten home from work so she could arrive immediately, leaving Angela at home to look after the twins.

„You are going to do nothing, Bella," said Edward firmly and Charlie nodded fervently. „You're going to stay here with…" he paused, looking around for volunteers.

„I'll stay," offered Esme and I noticed Carlisle breathe out in relief.

„And Alice," said Jasper resolutely, crossing his arms across his chest. Edward snickered.

„No way," Alice nearly growled. „You'll need me there and I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself." She mimicked Jasper's position, daring him to argue with her.

He tried.

„We'll have Edward so we will know their next steps. You can stay here."

„No, I can't and I won't." She raised her chin defiantly. It would have been funny if the situation hadn't been so serious. I could understand Jasper's concerns though. Alice was small and looked so fragile that even I felt the urge to tuck her somewhere in safety, even though I knew she was anything but fragile.

„Alice is right, Jasper," said Carlisle and Jasper scowled. „We need as many advantages as possible and with her, Edward and you, we might be even able to solve this peacefully."

I doubted that and I wasn't the only one.

„Hell no," said Emmett with a snort. „They should know who are they dealing with. They're after one of us and that's unforgivable."

I gaped at him, completely overwhelmed by his including me in his family. The others didn't seem surprised by his outburst, on the contrary, they looked like they agreed with him.

Except for Rosalie, of course. She didn't say anything. She just glared at me from her seat on the couch beside Emmett.

„Hang on," said Charlie gruffly. „It's not going to be just Esme, right?" He looked apologetically at Esme, who just smiled warmly at him, not looking offended at all. „I mean… what if something goes wrong and they get here?"

„No, not just Esme," agreed Carlisle. „I think Rosalie should stay as well."

Rosalie opened her mouth, then closed it again, and without a word strode out of the room. Charlie stared after her with a surprised expression.

„Um… is it safe for Bella to stay with her? She didn't look very happy." What an understatement.

„I can assure you, Charlie, that Rosalie would never harm Bella," said Carlisle calmly and Emmett nodded in agreement. But it apparently wasn't enough for my dad.

„What's on her mind, Edward? Is Bella going to be safe with her?"

Edward gently squeezed my hand, looking directly at Charlie. „Carlisle is right. She would never hurt Bella. Rosalie might have her… problems…" He glanced at the ceiling, rolling his eyes. „But she's loyal to the family and she will do what we ask of her." He flinched slightly and I could only imagine what Rosalie was thinking right now.

Charlie just nodded, not looking very convinced but he didn't argue further.

„But what about you, Dad? Are you going to be okay at the station?" It was my turn to worry now because if I was going to be left here under protection, so should he.

„Don't worry about me, kid…" Charlie started to say but he didn't get far because Amelia interupted him.

„I think someone should stay with him, too."

„But we will need as many of us as possible to have any chance against them," argued Jasper. „We don't know if they have any special abilities so even if there are five of us and three of them, our strenghts might still be even."

„Then I'll stay with Charlie at the station," Amelia suggested, earning surprised looks from the rest of us. „I can stay outside and if something happens, I can apparate him to safety. And I have a strong Shield charm as well." She looked at me with a slight smile.

When no one seemed to find anything to argue about, Carlisle stood up. „It looks like that's settled then," he said, bringing this meeting to the end.

As I walked to the fireplace to get home – Charlie had driven here – I knew that the next two days would be torture.


	25. Waiting

Chapter twenty-five

One would think that spending the last five years surrounded by various degrees of danger would have made me somehow used to it – for lack of a better word.

But no.

Even though I had faced danger before, fought in two battles, been turned to stone by an ancient monster and even seen Lord Voldemort with my own eyes, I'd never been more terrified than now.

Maybe it was because I'd never had enough time to really think about the danger before. Neither had I been the primary target, like I was now.

The worst thing about all this was, that I wasn't allowed to do anything this time. I was supposed to stay in safety and let others fight for me. A little over a month ago, I was barely aware that the Cullens even existed – I had only known about them as one of the animal eating vampire covens and I didn't even know their name – and now they were ready to fight for my life.

I didn't even want to imagine what I would do, if any of them was hurt or worst. The idea that it could be tiny Alice or even Edward made me sick.

Emmett decided to stay with me at home the next two days and practice my Shield Charm. Esme didn't agree at first but he convinced her eventually, saying that everyone can be sick once in a while.

So on Thursday morning, after my usual hour of meditation, we walked together to the clearing behind their house. Esme sat down on the stairs, that lead from the back door, to watch us. Carlisle had gone to the hospital, arranging an extra shift so he could have a day off on Friday.

Emmett took our practice seriously for once, even encouraging me to fend him off. I managed once in every few attempts but never twice in a row. Without Jasper or Edward here to help me calm down, I grew more and more frustrated. After an hour or so, I nearly threw my wand away in frustration and went to sit on the stairs, previously occupied by Esme who had dissappeared somewhere in the house about ten minutes ago.

„I need a break," I announced, sitting down. Emmett sat beside me, leaning against the door.

„What's wrong, Little Witch?" he asked after a minute of silence, gently nudging my shoulder with his huge one, so he nearly knocked me down. I shot him a glare, massaging my shoulder. He grinned. „Sorry."

„What do you mean ´what's wrong?´" I asked incredulously. „I'm about to be attacked by three human eating vampires. Is it not enough?"

„Relax, Bella," he boomed, rolling his eyes. „No one is going to attack you. We'll stop them."

„How can you be so sure? All of you? Are you not worried at all?"

„Well," he said with a shrug, „Even without Rosie and Esme, there are still five of us and only three of them. And I count for at least two normal vampires so that makes six against three." He winked at me. „And we have our three freaks with us so it will be piece of cake."

„Don't call them freaks," I said, frowning at him. He let out a booming laugh and carefully put his arm around my shoulder.

„You worry about him," he said and it wasn't a question.

„And Alice," I said and then felt the need to explain it to him. „Alice is so small and Edward doesn't really seem like the fighting type. Even with their abilities I'm just afraid that it wouldn't be enough."

He stared at me for a few seconds and then burst into laughter. He threw his head back so it smashed the glass in the back door.

„Emmett!" I heard Esme shout from somewhere inside the house but Emmett didn't seemed to care.

„Why are you laughing at me?" I growled, annoyed, feeling anger grow inside me. I also felt my face growing hot. At that moment Esme opened the door causing Emmett to fall back on the floor, still laughing.

„Pull yourself together, Emmett," Esme chastisted him. „And you're going to replace that glass." Then she glanced at me. „Don't you dare help him, Bella."

„I won't." Then I looked back at Emmett, who'd finally lifted himself back into sitting position, still giggling. „Now, would you please tell me what's so funny about me worrying about Edward and Alice?"

„Oh Bella," said Esme and sat down on my other side, putting her hand on my shoulder. „Although I don't agree with Emmett's reaction, it was rude and inappropriate, I think you underestimate Edward's and Alice's fighting skills."

„Yeah," chuckled Emmett. „I really hate to admit it, but those two are our best fighters." I gaped at him. „Though it is mostly thanks to his mind reading, but in all those years I've known Edward, I still haven't been able to beat him. Jasper got the closest a few times, with his mad fighting skills, but it still was a draw. And Alice is the same." He laughed again, when he saw the disbelief on my face. „We can show you when they get back. We often fight for fun." He added with a shrug.

„But Jasper wanted Alice to stay here," I reminded him.

„Jasper is a little overprotective when it comes to Alice," said Emmett, rolling his eyes. „But he knows she can take care of herself."

„Thanks, Emmett," I said, feeling a little calmer.

He just grinned widely and then shocked me by throwing me over his shoulder and dropping me in the middle of the clearing, ready to resume our practice.

* * *

After lunch, which Esme had prepared on her own for the first time, I asked for a little time for myself. I went to Edward's room, where I did some reading on non-verbal magic, just to try and think of something else.

I lost track of time so I didn't notice that the others had come back from school already, until I saw someone sit beside me on the couch from the corner of my eye. Edward put an arm around my shoulders and kissed my temple.

„So you worry about me," he said in an amused voice and I sighed, closing the Transfiguration book I had been reading.

„It's not funny," I mumbled, avoiding his eyes.

„Come on, we'll show you something," he said with a slight smile, taking my hand and gently pulling me to my feet.

He led me back into the clearing behind the house, where Emmett was already stretching his arms and talking to Jasper. The rest of the family was there too, so I stayed with Alice and Esme, while Edward continued toward the boys. Rosalie was sitting on the ground not far from us but her eyes were firmly fixed on Emmett.

First Edward fought with Emmett. It started with a huge bang as the two of them crashed into each other. It might have been interesting but all my poor human eyes could see was two big blurs and occasionally a limb or two in the air. After what seemed to be just a minute they suddenly stopped. Emmett was lying on the ground with Edward on top of him, holding Emmett's head between his hands. Edward jumped swiftly back to his feet, reaching his hand to help Emmett, who clearly didn't need it but accepted it all the same.

His fight with Jasper took longer and it was clearly more even than it had been with Emmett. They circled each other for a long time, both waiting for the other to attack first. Then they both suddenly struck at the same time and again it was only a blur with limbs I could see. It took ages but finally they stopped. Edward stood behind Jasper with his hands on both sides of Jasper's head. They stepped from each other and grinned. Jasper punched Edward's shoulder and they both laughed at something one of them said but I didn't hear what it was.

I finally let out a breath I didn't even realize I had been holding.

„My turn now!" squealed Alice, jumping to her feet. She joined the boys in a flash, pointing at Emmett first.

It took about as long as Emmett's fight with Edward, ending with Alice perched on Emmett's shoulders with her ready to rip his head off. Emmett rolled his eyes and shook her off his back. „Cheaters, both of you," he grumbled and stalked off to sit with Rosalie.

Alice's fight with Jasper took even longer than his fight with Edward but still Alice won. She then looked at Edward and they grinned at each other. „Draw," they said at the same time and shook hands. I laughed, the tension finally easing a little.

„Feeling better now?" asked Edward, now standing right in front of me.

„A little," I said, putting my arms around his waist. He embraced me and kissed the top of my head. „You still better be careful," I mumbled into his chest and felt him smiling into my hair.

„I will."

* * *

Friday was spent the same way as the day before. In the morning I practiced with Emmett and I was finally able to fend him off not just twice, but three times in a row. Normally I would have jumped with joy but today I merely smiled, though I did feel relieved that I'd finally done it. Emmett didn't even try to cheer me up this time, he just rolled his eyes and told me to take a break.

The tension was back full force and except for the Shield practice, I couldn't concentrate on anything. Edward literally saved me from going crazy when he arrived from school. Esme then ordered us to go and spend some time with Charlie before tonight and, for some reason, not come back before seven o'clock. I frowned when I saw her exchange a conspiratorial look with Edward but after that Edward ushered me toward the fireplace without giving me an explanation.

It was his first time travelling by the Floo Network and although he looked confident, I could tell he was nervous. Nevertheless he made it with grace and emerged from the fireplace in Charlie's living room with a grin and clothes covered with ash.

Dinner with Charlie was pretty quiet. He asked Edward for some details of the plan for tonight but other than that he ate in silence.

Shortly after dinner, we said goodbye to my dad who had to be at work at six. It was quite emotional because both of us realized that if something went wrong tonight, we might not see each other again.

After Charlie left, I headed to my room to pack some things for tonight. Edward followed and sat down on my bed.

„So, why are we not allowed to your house before seven?" I asked, stuffing my pyjamas into my backpack.

„You'll see," he said with a mysterious smile.

„You better not buy me anything again," I warned him, narrowing my eyes at him.

He just smiled, opening his arms for me. I sighed and walked to him, stopping right in front of the spot where he was sitting. He pulled me down on his lap and pecked my nose.

„You better get used to it," he murmured, burying his face into my hair. I heard him inhaling my scent so I stayed still, afraid that the slightest move would make it worse for him. He then kissed my throat, which made my heart race, and I felt his smile against my skin.

„So you're not going to tell me," I concluded with a frown.

He lifted his head and grinned. „No."

I gave up trying to persuade him to tell me his little secret and instead I got up to finish my packing.

* * *

When we returned to the Cullens, the others were gathered in the living room, talking softly. I raised my eyebrows at Edward.

„They're just going through our strategy for tonight again," he explained.

„And what strategy is that exactly?" They never really told me.

Before Edward could answer, Jasper looked at him from his seat in the armchair, apparently telling Edward something in his thoughts. Edward just nodded slightly and led me to the couch, where Esme moved to make some space for us. We sat down, holding our hands, and I looked at Jasper curiously.

„Bella, I know you're staying here with Esme and Rosalie, but you still have to take precautions." I nodded and he went on. „Rosalie and Esme won't let you out of their sight for one second. You're not allowed out of the house. You will have your phone and your wand with you all the time and if something happens and they get here, you must leave by the fireplace immediately." He paused, exchanging looks with Edward. Edward shortly shook his head and Jasper looked back at me. „Emmett told me you managed to fend him off more than once?" I nodded again. „That's good. You may be able to protect yourself long enough to get to the fireplace, if needed."

„Where should I go?"

„To Toby's. We already asked him and he agreed."

Apparently I'd been left out of the planning more than I realized. I frowned. „Why don't I go to Toby's right now?"

„We thought about it and for some reason I see the vampires follow you there," said Alice sadly.

„Yes," said Carlisle. „We think that one of them must have some Gift for tracking."

„Oh."

Since they didn't have anything else to tell me, Edward excused us and went with me upstairs to take my backpack to his room. When we were inside, my eyes grew wide and I stopped dead barely a few steps in.

„What is that?" I asked, staring at the king-sized bed in the middle of his room, that definitely hadn't been there this afternoon.

Edward passed me like nothing happened and placed my bag at the foot of the bed.

„Edward?" I crossed my arms, not moving.

„It's a bed, Bella. People sleep in it." He turned to face me, wearing an amused smirk on his face.

„You don't sleep."

„But you do."

„I would have been fine on the couch for one night." I was suddenly furious. It was too much. „It really wasn't necessary."

He sighed, taking a few steps to me and putting his hands on my shoulders, making me look in his eyes. „Bella, you didn't really think I would let you sleep on the couch, did you?" I frowned at him. „Besides…" He lifted one corner of his lips. „… I hoped you would sleep here more often."

„Well, I saw a bed in Alice's room. I'm sure she wouldn't have minded if I slept there." I said stubbornly, not ready to give up that easily. Edward's eyes narrowed and his lips pressed into an angry line.

„I want you to be comfortable. And you're not sleeping in Alice's room."

„You can't buy me a bed, Edward!" I raised my voice, putting my hands on his to remove them off my shoulders. He let me do it and I angrily stomped to the couch and plopped down on it.

„But it's _my_ bed. In _my_ room. I really don't understand why you're so upset." He shook his head and sat down next to me, taking my hand in his huge one and bringing it to his lips. I sighed, closing my eyes, and leaned back into the backrest.

„I… it's just too much. Everything that's going on here… it's just…" I trailed off, unable to express what I was really feeling.

„I know," he said quietly, putting his arm around my shoulders and pulling me into his chest. I nuzzled against the crook of his neck, inhaling his scent and letting it calm me. „I promise it's going to be alright. We're going to leave after you fall asleep and before you wake up, we'll be back."

I wanted to believe him so I just nodded and for once didn't argue. „I'm sorry I yelled at you," I mumbled into his neck.

„It's alright," he whispered, kissing me right under my ear.

* * *

I thought it would be impossible to fall asleep tonight but Edward stayed with me, humming softly, so I drifted to sleep before I knew it.

I woke with a start in the middle of the night, looking widly around. The bed was empty and it meant only one thing. They had already left. I recognized Rosalie's tall figure, standing by the window, looking out into the darkness outside. Esme was nowhere to be seen.

Rosalie didn't move, even though I was sure she knew I was awake. Edward had once told me that he knew when I was asleep thanks to my breathing and heart rate.

„What's the time?" I asked Rosalie timidly, sitting up and pulling my legs up so I could wrap my arms around them.

No answer.

„Where is Esme?" I tried again, this time a little more loudly.

Silence.

I knew that Esme was somewhere in the house so she'd probably heard me but on the other hand, this was a chance to finally talk to Rosalie. Also I desperately needed to avoid thinking about what Edward and the others might be doing right now, so I took a deep breath and scrambled out of bed. I walked around the bed, stopping by the window a few feet from Rosalie.

She stiffened but otherwise didn't acknowledge my presence.

„I know you hate me, Rosalie," I said quietly, keeping my eyes on the dark silhouettes of trees outside, „but I want you to know that I never intended to bring any danger on your family. I'm sorry about that."

At first she was quiet so I thought about going downstairs to find Esme, but before I could turn from the window, she started to speak.

„What do you plan to do after all this is over?" she asked with a hard edge in her voice, still not looking at me. „And I mean the whole situation in Britain."

„Um…" I hesitated, not sure where she was going with it. „I never really thought that far, actually," I admitted truthfully. „It's hard to think about my future when I don't know if the danger ever will be over. Right now I find it hard thinking about tomorrow," I added quietly.

She just nodded like I confirmed what she'd been thinking.

„You came here all of sudden, turning our lives upside down," she hissed, finally turning to look at me. „Edward would do anything for you. I don't know what you feel for him… _if_ you feel anything for him…" I opened my mouth to protest but she didn't let me. „But if you leave him, you break him and we will have to pick up the pieces."

I stared at her. „So it is about Edward?"

„Not just him. _Everyone_ is crazy about you. Carlisle and Esme already consider you their daughter, Alice and my Emmett think of you as their sister. Jasper gets all overprotective over you even when he has hard time being near you. When you leave, this family will end up in ruins and I will lose even the little good that comes with this half-life."

I opened my mouth and closed it again, not knowing what to say, replaying everything she'd said in my head. Then it dawned on me. „It's about _you_."

„What?" she snapped at me.

„It's about you," I repeated calmly, surprised by my sudden boldness. „You don't care that Edward may be finally happy. You don't care that Alice has finally a friend. You're actually jealous because suddenly you're not the center of attention. But I tell you something, Rosalie. I didn't ask for it. To be honest, I have no idea why Edward chose to be with me but I can assure you that I will do everything in my power to make him happy."

Rosalie had seemed taken aback by my outburst but by the time I finished, she collected herself and growled at me. „Happy? By going off to a _fucking_ battle and getting yourself killed?"

My eyes grew wide at her use of language but right then Esme entered the room.

„That's enough, Rosalie," she cut in sternly, her face looking angry in the moonlight that was streaking through the window. „I won't allow you to talk to Bella like that."

„It's okay, Esme," I muttered, my eyes fixed on Rosalie. „I know you are loyal to this family, Rosalie, because you have no one else. And I know I owe you all a lot and if there was ever something I could do for you, I would do it without hesitation. But I do have other friends and I feel loyal to them too. I have to help them however I can."

Rosalie looked at me for a long while. „I wish I could hate you, Bella, but it would make me a bitch for hating you for your selflessness." My eyes nearly bugged out of my sockets. „I'm not being fair to you, I know that. I just wish you'd never stepped into our lives."

I heard Esme gasp but before she could say anything, I put up my hand to stop her. My eyes stayed on Rosalie. „Well, I'm sorry but I don't regret it since I'd have been dead by now if Edward hadn't saved me from the van. Or raped if he hadn't saved me that night in Port Angeles." She visibly winced at that, her eyes grew wide for a second.

Then she shocked me by mumbling, „I'm sorry," and walked out of the room. I stared after her until Esme gently tugged my arm.

„I suppose you don't feel like sleeping, am I right?" I nodded and she took my wand from the bedside table and led me out of the door. „Let's make you a cup of hot chocolate then."

* * *

„Did you hear from them?" I asked Esme, looking at her over the steaming mug of hot chocolate in my hands. We were sitting in the living room, after I'd assured her that cleaning the potential stains off her white couch or carpet would take about two seconds. Rosalie was standing by the window with her back on us again, but this time her silence was calm, not angry like before.

„No," she said, shaking her head, but she didn't look worried. „They can't be distracted now. They will only call if something is wrong."

„You really think they will be okay?"

„Yes." She smiled at me but at that moment her phone beeped on the table. We looked at each other with wide eyes and Rosalie turned to us, raising her eyebrow. Esme reached for the phone and I leaned over to read with her.

 _Get Bella out of there. Now! – Alice –_

„Rose!" Esme cried out, standing up and pulling me up with her at the same time. „The fireplace, now!" The mug fell out of my hands but I bearly noticed. I somehow managed to grab my wand from the couch before Esme took a hold of both of my arms and jumped with me over the couch, pushing me toward the fireplace.

Before I could reach for the bowl with the floo powder, there was a crash and the ear-splitting sound of shattering glass. Both Esme and Rosalie threw themselves in front of me in defensive crouches and a low growl came out of Rosalie's throat. I was still several steps from the fireplace, so I reacted the only way I could – I conjured a Shield around all three of us. Then I peeked in between them to see what happened.

A woman with wild fiery red hair was standing in the middle of the room. First I noticed her clothes, that were torn in places and she wore no shoes. My eyes then went up to her face. Her bright red eyes were shining in surprise by what she was seeing but then her lips broke into an evil smile.

„So it's because of you!" she exclaimed in high, girly voice and then she launched at us.

 **A/N: Next chapter will be in Edward's POV. We do need some action here, don't we? :)**


	26. The Clearing

**A/N: So this was originally supposed to be one chapter but it would have been insanely long and I still have to figure out a few things about it so I decided to split it into two parts. Hopefully, I will have the next part written soon so you woudn't have to wait too long.**

 **Enjoy.**

Chapter twenty-six

 **Edward**

Beautiful.

This word was playing on loop in my mind while I was watching Bella sleep in my bed. She looked like an angel, with her dark hair spread on the pillow around her head, which was turned my direction. Her mouth was slightly open and her right hand was resting palm up on my chest. The heat from her hand made my body tingle everywhere. And I mean _everywhere_.

My body was seventeen, after all.

If my body tingled in her closeness, then my throat was on fire. I swallowed the venom that was pooling in my mouth but made no effort to get away from her. I relished every opportunity to be with her, so I tried to prolong the moment as much as I could. I knew I'd have to go downstairs to my family to discuss the last details of our strategy, but I just couldn't make myself move. I still had a little time.

I let my mind wander to the last few days. To the moment when I'd found out she worried about me. It felt like my dead heart might start beating again. It meant that she cared enough to actually be worried about my safety.

Then the pessimistic side of me made an appearance. _Of course she was worried about you. You wouldn't be able to protect her if you were dead._ I tried to squash down these thoughts. I knew she cared. She let me be close to her. She even let me kiss her. I was sure she wasn't that heartless.

But still. I knew she didn't feel the same way about me as I did about her. It was simply humanly impossible. Vampire feelings are much stronger than human. Everything is more intense.

I sighed and then took a deep breath, letting her delicious mouthwatering scent burn my throat. I had hated it the first day in that Biology class. I'd thought she was sent here by Satan himself to torture me. But now I welcomed it. It reminded me that she was here with me, safely sleeping in my arms.

The question was, how long would I be allowed to keep her that way. How long would I be able to keep her in my life. I knew that once she was free to go, she would leave me. At that thought sharp pain shot through my chest and I felt like I couldn't breathe. But it was bound to happen, eventually. I'd better be prepared for it.

Maybe if I left her first… The idea didn't make me feel much better but at least I wouldn't have to listen to her telling me she had to leave…

 _Jesus, Edward. Stop it. Why are you so depressed when you're with your girl?_ Jasper's thoughts screamed at me.

I didn't realize he'd still been keeping watch on this room. He'd helped putting Bella to sleep earlier, letting her relax into deep slumber. Now he was spending a few quiet moments with Alice before we had to leave and my emotions had been putting him into a miserable mood.

„Sorry," I mumbled quietly, but it was loud enough for Jasper to hear me. Then I turned my thoughts into more pleasant things.

It was inevitable, since Bella chose this moment to turn her whole body to me and pressed herself to my side, throwing her left arm across my chest and her left leg across my legs.

I immediately stopped breathing.

Sudden moves still made my throat flare even more than usual but at least the urge to bite her had somewhat diminished. The same couldn't be said about another part of my body though.

I looked down at her, still not daring to breathe. She looked so peaceful in her sleep, her eyes fluttering slightly and her mouth open, her pink lips creating a small o. I looked at them for a very long time, imagining them on various parts of my body…

 _That's better, man._ Jasper clearly appreciated the change of my emotions and took advantage of them on Alice. She didn't seem to mind.

I quickly jumped out of Jasper's and Alice's minds and returned my attention to Bella.

I took an experimental breath, finding out it was bearable, and tried to ignore the burning of my throat. The warmth of Bella's body felt like I was wrapped in a thick blanket. I smiled, reaching out to touch her hair and started playing with one of her strands.

It was nearly time to get ready to leave. Alice had told us to take a shower before we left to wash out Bella's scent so the strangers wouldn't be alerted to her closeness to us right away. I could as well use the shower to calm my overexcited body.

„We'll be meeting in the backyard in ten minutes," said Carlisle from his office. He didn't shout, everyone could hear his low voice just fine. _…want to avoid Bella's scent after shower… everywhere in the house…_ I caught his thoughts but I knew he meant well. And he was right. Bella's scent was everywhere since she'd begun spending the days here.

I gently and reluctantly untangled myself from Bella's body. Then I kissed her forehead and quietly, so not even my family could hear, whispered the words I never said aloud. „I love you, Bella."

* * *

After shower I put on fresh clothes Alice had prepared for me and jumped out of the bathroom window right into the backyard. The others were already there getting ready. Emmett and Carlisle were saying goodbye to their mates so I tuned out their thoughts to give them some privacy, even though I could still hear their whispered words.

I focused on Jasper who was playing out the strategy for tonight so Alice could see what would happen. She couldn't see much further ahead though because there were other decisions to be made. However, she still had been able to give us a few pieces of advice based on her „hunches", as she called it.

In our last night meeting – which had taken place outside of Bella's house while she was sleeping – we'd agreed that it would be best not to reveal our Gifts to the strangers, or at least keep it secret for as long as possible. Carlisle wanted to approach them peacefully and try to talk to them first to find out if he could persuade them to give up their pursuit. Also we'd agreed that we wouldn't tell them that we were there to protect Bella. Alice thought that it might provoke an unpredictable reaction from at least one of them.

Alice's mind was now a whirl of images, a mixture of present and future. I always admired her mind. Besides Carlisle's, hers was my favorite. It was fascinating, the way her visions kept coming almost constantly and her ability to sort through them and store them away for future use or disregard them completely. Even though I had to similarly sort through all the thoughts that kept coming to my head from others' minds, I'd never had to deal with more than what was happening at the time. She had once told me that it had taken her years to learn how her Gift really works and how to use it without going crazy.

I heard a quiet moan and a rustling sound from my room – Bella just turned in her bed. She didn't wake up, her breathing was still steady and calm. Suddenly I felt an urge to stay at home with her, a strange anxiety was building in my stomach.

Jasper's head snapped to me. _Are you alright?_

„I don't know," I mumbled, frowning in confusion. It was true. I knew that it was best for Bella's safety that I went with them; they needed me, with my mind reading ability we should be able to resolve the whole situation either in peace, or in fight where my help would be greatly appreciated. But still, I felt like leaving Bella was wrong, like something was about to happen if I left.

I glanced at Alice. She was still scanning her visions in the back of her mind but her eyes were on me. I concentrated on the images of the near future in her head, but there was nothing about Bella being in immediate danger. I saw Bella talking to Rosalie at some point, but it was blurry like it was just a possibility, something that was yet to be decided.

Esme just finished saying goodbye to Carlisle and turned to me. She reached her hand to cup my cheek and smiled. „Be careful, Edward."

„I will," I murmured, giving her a reassuring smile back.

 _We'll take care of her, don't worry._ She added in her thoughts.

„Thanks, Mom." I knew she loved when we called her that and she often felt like we didn't do it often enough. She beamed at me, patting my cheek and moved to Jasper and Alice.

It was foolish to expect the same from Rosalie and sure enough, she didn't disappoint. She looked at me for a long time, her mind swirling with various things she wanted to tell me. Most of them were rude or plainly vulgar. She knew I could hear her but she didn't care. Rosalie hated my mind reading more than any other member of my family and she didn't hesitate to say it.

To my surprise though she settled on something completely unexpected. „I hope she's worth it."

I stared at her. In her mind I could see her sincerity and genuine worry about me. In the back of her mind there was an edge to it, she worried what would happen to her if her family was left in ruins because of Bella, but her foremost thought was about my well-being.

„She is," I assured her.

She nodded and turned to say goodbye to Carlisle. _I really hope so._ She sent me one last thought and focused on our father.

After all goodbyes were said, Alice grabbed a duffel bag that had been laying by her feet and we took off. I knew what was in the bag and I thought it was an excellent idea. It was Jasper, ever the strategist, who'd come up with it. He'd said that it would be suspicious if we appeared in front of the strangers out of the blue, demanding answers and looking like we knew they were coming. It would be better, and Alice agreed, to make it look like they accidentally ran into us while we were in the middle of something. Carlisle had suggested hunting, but we never were all together while hunting – it was just too distracting and we had natural instincts that made us very territorial and defensive of our prey. So Jasper's idea was simple and it was perfectly fitting for tonight's weather.

Baseball.

A few days ago, Alice had finally seen the definite direction the strangers would be coming from. We had decided to make use of the opportunity and meet them at the clearing where we often played baseball during stormy weather. It was only logical to play – or at least pretend to – today when the weather was right.

It was drizzling but we knew that the heavy rain would be here soon. Even if we didn't have Alice, I could smell the rain in the air. It took me only ten minutes to get to the clearing; the others were slower and by the time they arrived a minute later, I had already started pacing around the clearing impatiently.

„Relax, Edward," said Alice, rolling her eyes, „we still have time."

„How long?" asked Emmett eagerly, stopping next to Alice who had started unpacking the bag. _Hope at least one of them is a good fighter… love challenge for a change._

I internally rolled my eyes at him. He stubbornly refused to admit that both Alice and I had beaten him in our last practice match. I stopped pacing, picking up Alice's answer from her mind before she replied to Emmett.

„Fifteen minutes," she said, tossing at us the baseball caps she had packed. I raised my eyebrows at her and she just shrugged. _We have to look the part._

I suppressed a sigh and put the cap on. Then I walked to the edge of the clearing where I stopped, closing my eyes. I focused my mind reading as far into the woods as it would reach. My range was about three miles which meant that I should be able to read their minds before the rest of my family could hear them.

The rain had picked up so it was pouring down now. There was thunder not far from us and lightnings illuminated the dark sky above our heads. I heard the others talking quietly while they waited for me to give them a sign. Emmett was swinging the bat impatiently, chanting _Come on, come on,_ in his head, so I tuned him out and once again focused my mind into the woods.

The minutes ticked by slowly and everything was quiet now, except for the thunderstorm and rain pounding down around me. Then I finally heard it.

One by one, three unfamiliar minds entered my range.

I raised my hand, giving the others the sign and focused on the strangers.

The first one was obviously a male; his mind had this characteristic masculine feel. I couldn't distinguish any thoughts though, he was completely focused on where he was going. It looked like something in his mind was giving him directions.

Right behind him was a female. Her thoughts, which had quite unpleasant high-pitched undertone, were focused on the male in front of her. She was wondering where exactly they were going and was annoyed with whatever it was that made him not paying her enough attention. I could also detect that a part of her mind was constantly on alert, scanning her surroundings and trying to find a way out.

The last one was also a male. He kept a short distance behind the other two, like he didn't quite belong to them. In his mind he was contemplating how to tell _James_ that he wanted to go his own way.

Now, that was interesting.

I pulled out of their minds and quickly told the others what I'd found out, still partly paying attention to the strangers' thoughts.

„So you think he's not part of the coven?" asked Carlisle, looking thoughtful.

„It looks like it," I said, nodding. „And I think the female might be gifted as well. Some sort of evasive talent."

„Hm." Jasper frowned and I could see more strategic schemes playing out in his head.

„They are going to run across our scents in three seconds," Alice piped up and sure enough, right after another lightning pierced the sky, I heard the alarm in the thoughts of the three vampires.

 _... vampire… more than one!_

 _… didn't know it was someone's territory…_

 _… might complicate things…_

They stopped running and turned to face each other to discuss what to do. The Tracker pointed at the other male, telling him to lead the way and talk to us. He and the female – _Victoria –_ would be watching and trying to find a way around us to go and find _the_ _object_. I could see Bella's face flicker in his mind. It was clearly a photograph in some kind of a file with her name written under the picture.

I let out a low growl but at the same time Emmett and Jasper ran into each other with an ear-slitting crash so the strangers would think we actually did play baseball.

It worked. All three of them snapped their heads our direction and started running again. It didn't take long before we all could hear their approach. Emmett and Jasper had stopped the fake baseball game but Emmett still held the bat in this hand. We formed some sort of defensive semi-circle around Alice at Jasper's insistance, facing the woods.

A minute later they walked into the clearing, stopping about two steps in. We all stood still, not moving, each group warily studying the other. I heard their inner surprise when they saw our strange eye color but none of them said anything. Then the man in the middle, with black hair and slightly olive toned skin, stepped forward and put his hands up in a peace offering gesture.

„We mean no harm," he said calmly, his eyes fixed on Carlisle, who he had correctly identified as our leader since he was standing a step in front of the rest of us. „My name is Laurent and this is James and Victoria." He waved behind him and the other two just nodded when their name was announced. „We were just passing through but we heard your game and became curious." He pointed at the bat in Emmett's hand and offered a friendly smile. I could see that at least _his_ curiosity was genuine.

„I am Carlisle Cullen and this is my family," said Carlisle, „Edward, Emmett, Jasper and Alice." He pointed at each of us but his eyes remained on Laurent. „We live nearby. You can pass through but we have to ask you not to hunt in this area."

„I have to admit that it suprised me that such a large coven lives in such a sparsely populated place," Laurent continued conversationally, while James and Victoria carefuly studied our faces. „Wouldn't it be more… convenient… to settle in big cities where the food is more accessible?"

Carlisle started to explain our diet but I barely heard him. At the mentioning of Alice's name, she'd peeked out from behind Jasper and that was when James's eyes landed on her. His mind became blank with surprise and then a memory started to unfold in his head.

 _It was a moonless night and he was standing in front of an old looking building surrounded by dense forest. There were still a few windows lit but he knew that the one he was interested in was long dark. He crept to the window that was just above ground and peeked inside between the bars. He could still see her, even in the dark. She was tiny, with a short black hair standing in all directions. Her thin body was curled up in a ball on a small, metal-framed bed and she was sleeping restlessly. It was then when he caught the scent of another vampire, which made this game even more exciting…_

 _… my little Mary-Alice…_

It was that last thought that almost made my head snap his direction. I gritted my teeth and silently gathered all my strength and willpower so I wouldn't jump at James' throat and thus reveal my mind reading ability and ruin our carefully laid plans.

He knew Alice and from what I next heard in his mind, he'd just found his next challenge.


	27. Escape

Chapter twenty-seven

Panic was swirling through Alice's mind while she was watching the new vision following James' decision. She was hidden behind me and Carlisle so James didn't see the glazed look on her face, which was good. As far as I could tell, James didn't know why Alice had been placed in the asylum when she was human, so he didn't know about her visions.

Jasper, of course, could feel both mine and Alice's panic and anger, so he knew something was wrong. It was a good thing he couldn't read minds because there was no way he would have let James live a second longer, had he known what he was planning.

I, on the other hand, could see the opportunity in James' knowledge of Alice's past. He knew where she came from and he also knew her name. I wanted to get as much information as possible before we killed him. And now I had no doubt that we _would_ kill him.

 _This is bad,_ thought Carlisle while he was still chatting with Laurent about our diet. Carlisle couldn't read minds or feel emotions but he could feel the tension rolling off of me and from the corner of his eye he saw my body stiffen minutely. _Please, don't do anything rash, Edward. Give me a minute to try and get Laurent out of the way. He seems to be an innocent party._

I didn't react but he didn't expect me to. It took everything in me to keep my face blank so I wouldn't ruin our little charade. Instead, I tried to think of a way to make James talk.

„There is another coven like us up in Denali," said Carlisle, his face never showing his inner unease. „If you're interested, you can pay them a visit. I'm sure they would welcome you in their home."

„Hm, that sounds interesting," said Laurent and I could hear in his mind that his interest was genuine. „I've already thought about going my own way for some time." He glanced at James and Victoria, both of whom were looking at him with raised eyebrows. Apparently he hadn't discussed his plans with them. James shrugged internally – he couldn't care less – while Victoria struggled to not show how happy she was with Laurent's decision. She'd never understood why Laurent travelled with them anyway and she wanted more alone time with James. „Maybe I should go now," Laurent mused aloud and his thoughts mirrored his words. „Are you sure they wouldn't mind my coming?"

„Yes, I'm sure. But I could let them know, if you want," offered Carlisle and then proceeded to tell him how to get to our cousins' place.

James and Victoria grew bored now and James was already thinking of leaving to get on with his task. I couldn't let him.

„So, where are you headed to?" I asked James, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible in this situation. „Will you go with Laurent?"

James' eyes snapped to me and his expression turned wary for a second. Then he smiled and it might look friendly on the outside but I knew better. „Oh no. I'm afraid this _lifestyle_ isn't for us. I have some errands to run nearby and then we plan to go east."

„You're not allowed to feed here," I repeated Carlisle's words from before. „You know that, right?"

„Oh, we won't feed." His smile grew wider and I could see in his mind that he indeed didn't plan to kill Bella. He wanted to take her with him and a face of an unknown woman appeared in his thoughts. She had a toad-like face and a horrible pink ribbon in her mousy hair. In his mind he imagined her rewarding him after the succesful delivery. He secretly hoped that Bella would be his reward after all. _Her appealing scent… would be such a waste…_

I bit down the growl that threatened to rip through my throat, and squashed the urge to launch at him and tear his head off. _Just a little longer…_ I repeated in my head and internally thanked Jasper for sending a wave of calm at me.

I really needed to focus on what was happening now. Getting as much information as possible about Alice was my number one priority at the moment so I forced my face into a somewhat friendly expression. „So, what are your errands then? Maybe we can help you."

James' eyes narrowed and flickered behind me to Alice, who'd chosen this moment to step out from behind us. She came to stand beside Jasper, taking his hand. One glance at Alice was all James needed for his mind to tell me what I wanted to hear.

 _He was standing in front of the same building as before but this time the front door was visible. On the wall next to the door there was a rusty plate with a sign that read:_ _ **Mental Asylum, Biloxi, Mississippi.**_ _He pressed his back against the wall next to the same window as before and listened. Two male voices were approaching the door to the room where the girl was staying._

 _„Going to check on the Brandon girl, Brett."_

 _„That one is really crazy, I'm telling you. They say she's possessed! Can you believe that?"_

 _„Well, it's nothing a few electric shocks can't fix…"_

 _Then he smelled it again. The scent of the other vampire nearby. It was a strong, lingering scent as if the vampire had been there for a long time. He had to take some time to think. He wouldn't let anyone take what was his. She had the most delicious scent he'd ever come across. He had to have it. No. He_ _ **needed**_ _to have it._

 _Weeks later the other vampire took her. He took her from him and hid her somewhere, changing her in the process. He killed the vampire, of course, but it was too late. The girl's transformation was near the end and her blood was gone. He was furious but he let her go. She was useless to him now…_

Not more then a few seconds had passed and I was still waiting for James to say something. He shook his head slightly and smiled at me. „That won't be necessary."

Carlisle had just finished giving Laurent instructions how to get to the Denali. Laurent thanked him and without so much as a look toward his two companions, he turned around and disappeared into the woods. James and Victoria didn't even turned to look after him.

Anyway, Laurent was finally out of the way so we could stop with our little game.

„Are you sure about that?" I said, taking a step toward James and immediately Emmet and Jasper came to flank me, while Carlisle and Alice surrounded Victoria.

James and Victoria both crouched in a defensive position. „What's this?" James growled, narrowing his eyes at me. Victoria was torn between her natural instinct to escape and wanting to help her mate.

„We know why you're here," I said, trying to appear calm which was easier thanks to Jasper. He'd been keeping me calm the whole time otherwise I would have killed James the second he started thinking about Bella. „And we will stop you."

„Oh, really?" James sneered. „And why exactly do you think we're here, _Edward?"_

„I don't think. I _know_." I kept my eyes fixed on his, trying to make my point.

„And what do you _know_?" He mocked me but I could see that he was getting impatient. He didn't want to waste his time here and was ready to fight his way through us to get to his goal.

James wasn't the only one who was impatient. _Let's get it over with._ Emmett's thoughts grew louder, making it harder to concentrate. I gritted my teeth but kept my eyes on James.

„I know that you want to get out of here so you could take a young woman from her house and bring her to some other woman. And I know that after your mission is over, you want to come back and go after Alice." At those words Jasper stiffened and let out a furious growl. I put my hand on his shoulder to calm him but it had little effect. „So you see, we can't let you do it."

James' expression didn't change – he still had that mocking smirk plastered on his face – but his mind was a swirling chaos of thoughts and emotions. _What the hell…? How…? Never mind… I'll kill them all or Victoria gets me out of here…_

„Watch her!" I barked at Carlisle and Alice but she had already grabbed Victoria by her arm and Carlisle quickly did the same. Victoria hissed furiously, trying to wriggle out of their grasp but Carlisle had her in a headlock now and Alice was holding both of her hands.

James' mind was quick and he immediately connected the dots. _A mind-reader…_

My only reply was a smirk in return. Jasper and Emmett had already grabbed James by his arms, ready to finish him off.

„Not yet," I told them, crossing my arms across my chest. „I think we need some answers first." I glanced at Carlisle, who nodded solemnly. I could hear Victoria shriek in rage but I didn't pay her any attention, focusing solely on James. „Who sent you?"

„Why should I tell you?" he sneered at me, trying really hard not to think about it. But the problem is that it's very hard not to think about something you are asked about. My family were the only ones who could do it and it had taken them decades of practice, though even they sometimes slipped. So no matter how hard James tried, the face of the same woman as before appeared in his mind.

„Who is she?"

A flash of a memory flickered in front of his eyes – she had met him in a dark forest one night, giving him several files and instructing him to find _them_ and bring them to her. He didn't know her name but I had a sneaking suspicion who she might be.

„How did you find Bella?"

Right after I had asked the question, I wanted to kick myself. Something about my expression excited him. _He… cares about her? Interesting_ … I growled, losing my patience and grabbing him by his throat. „How did you find her?!"

Involuntarily, his mind, once again, revealed his secrets.

 _It was night again and he was climbing through a window into a two-story house. The room, as the rest of the house, looked dark and empty, but he could still see perfectly well that the room had belonged to a young woman. He walked over to her bed, sniffing her pillow but smelling only laundry detergent and cotton. Then he turned and saw a closet and when he opened it, he smiled widely. There were still clothes hanging inside. He took a light summer blouse and sniffed it again. This time he was rewarded by one of the most appealing scents he had ever smelled. Nothing like little Mary Alice, but still delicious enough. And now he knew where to go to get it…_

I released his throat, took a step back and nodded to Emmett and Jasper. Then I watched my brothers rip James' arms off with a loud creaky noise. James roared in pain and Victoria shrieked again. Both Emmett and Jasper threw his arms away and they pushed his shoulders down so he would kneel on the ground before me. Just as I was getting ready to rip his head off, I heard a quiet voice behind me.

„I want to do that."

It didn't really suprise me that Alice wanted to be the one to finish him off. She felt like she owed him and she wanted to do this not just for herself, but for Bella as well. I stepped back to make room for her and then watched her taking my place as an executioner.

She stood there for a while, just watching him. Her mind was completely in the present for once, ignoring all her visions, storing them aside.

James now knew that his time was up and there was nothing he could do. Yet, he wasn't afraid. His only thought was regret that he wouldn't get the chance to taste Bella's blood. There was not a single thought concerning Victoria.

Suddenly Alice moved so fast, that even I nearly missed it, and then James' head was ripped off his shoulders and thrown away on the ground. His mind went immediately black.

Right after that, several things happened at once.

Alice gasped, watching a new vision playing before her eyes. I heard a commotion as Carlisle tried to hold an enraged Victoria in place and failed. She'd kicked him in the knee and when he loosened his grip a little, she wriggled out of his arms and fled into the woods.

It all happened so fast that before we could react, she was gone.

 _Edward, go!_ Both Alice's and Carlisle's mental voices shouted at me, but I had already taken off after her.

I was faster than her so it didn't take long for me to spot her fiery red hair among the trees ahead. I was gaining on her so I was confident that she wouldn't get very far. I saw her jump across the stream some two hundreds yards ahead but when I got there, I couldn't see her anymore.

But I could still hear her.

I flew across the stream and turned left, following both her scent and her thoughts. Her mind was full of blinding rage and longing for revenge. I could vaguely hear Alice and Carlisle on the edge of my range, following me, but I didn't pay them any attention. Victoria was my priority now.

She was near the coast now, the ocean clearly visible through her eyes. I briefly wondered if she was planning to swim to throw me off her trace. Then suddenly she stepped into the beach, looked around and then took off south.

I groaned. She was headed for the Quileute territory. The area we weren't allowed in. I stopped right before the last line of trees, running my hand through my hair in frustration, trying to think of a way to get to her.

Carlisle and Alice caught up with me a few seconds later.

„What happened? Where is she?" asked Carlisle, looking around for a sign of Victoria.

Alice, on the other hand, hissed angrily, stopping right next to me. Her visions of Victoria had suddenly turned black.

I turned to look at her. „Did the wolves get her?"

„I don't know," she muttered, frowning and trying to look for Victoria in her visions. I watched with her a vision of a few flashes of Victoria's red hair in the forest but we were unable to identify where she was.

I explained to Carlisle what had happened and we decided to go back alongside the Quileute border in hope that we would be able to run into Victoria or at least catch her fresh scent. Jasper and Emmett joined us when we where halfway to our house when Alice suddenly stopped with a gasp, her eyes glazed as a new vision played in front of her eyes. I watched it with her, my mind gradually freezing in horror.

 _Victoria was sitting in a tree, staring at a big white house with a whole wall made of glass, surrounded by trees. The first floor was lit up and she could see three female figures inside. Bella and Esme were sitting on the couch, chatting, while Rosalie was standing by the window, looking out into the dark. She didn't seem to see Victoria in the tree. Victoria's lips slowly spread into an evil grin and she jumped off the branch and set off toward the house…_

Then everything went blurry and Alice couldn't see anything else. We stared at each other for what seemed like hours but I knew it couldn't be more then a few seconds.

„How long?" I barely managed to choke out, ignoring the others whose thoughts were full of confusion.

„Soon. You must hurry, Edward. I'll try to warn them."

Before she could finish her last sentence, I was already on my way. I ran faster than ever before, my mind full of horrible images of Bella's lifeless body. I couldn't let that happen. I couldn't lose her like that. If she died, I knew I would follow right after her.

I was vaguely aware of Alice's gasp somewhere in the distance behind me, probably reacting to a new vision about me trying to kill myself, but I didn't care. Soon she was out of my hearing range so I could fully concentrate on what I was doing.

About a minute later I entered the minds of Esme, Rosalie and Victoria so I could see what was happening in our house.

Both Rosalie and Esme were crouching in front of Bella, facing an enraged Victoria, who was trying to get to Bella but failed repeatedly, which made her even more furious. The reason of her failed attempts was Bella's nearly transparent shield that was protecting not just her, but Esme and Rosalie as well.

The most peculiar thing about this scene was Bella's expression. I couldn't see any fear on her face. Only anger and pure determination.

I jumped across the stream near our house and streaked past the tree Victoria had been sitting in. I could now see with my own eyes Victora getting ready to make yet another attempt to get through Bella's shield. I didn't know how long would the shield last but judging by the slight tremor in Bella's hand, it wouldn't be much longer. I wasn't about to test her limits so I jumped through the hole in the glass made by Victoria and the next second I had her red hair in my hand just as she'd managed to bend the shield slightly.

I grabbed her by the hair and a shoulder and threw her out of the house, making another hole in the glass seperating the living room from the backyard. Before I could turn around to follow her, I heard a crack and then a splitting sound of a tree falling down. I knew from Esme's thoughts that they were all alright so I didn't hesitate and ran outside after Victoria.

By the time I reached her, she was already on her feet again, baring her teeth at me. She let out a furious growl and tried to get around me back to the house. I blocked her every attempt to get anywhere near the house, driving her even more crazy.

„You won't get her, Victoria," I said warningly but she wasn't listening, trying to duck under my arm. I threw her away, back into the already fallen tree. „You can try all you want but it won't get you anywhere."

„You killed him!" she shrieked in a high-pitched voice. „And I'll kill her!"

Her mind was full of despair and agony and if she didn't try to kill the love of my life, I would have pitied her.

The others had caught up with me now and together with Esme and Rosalie they formed a loose circle around us. I heard Bella arguing that she wanted to watch but Esme pulled her safely behind her back, not allowing her anywhere near Victoria.

When Victoria noticed Bella, she made another lunge toward her but I blocked her again. „Give up, Victoria. You can see you're outnumbered," I said, motioning toward my family. „You can still leave without getting hurt." I knew she wouldn't and Alice confirmed it but I still had to offer her a way out, if only to please Carlisle.

„Never!"

„He never even loved you," I said, slowly circling around her. She narrowed her eyes at me, mirroring my movements. „He was using you for your talent. He didn't even think about you before we killed him."

„Liar!"

„You know I'm not lying. You could see it too, couldn't you? But you still hoped that if you did what he wanted, he would love you back." I kept my voice even, trying not to think about my own feelings toward Bella and the possibility that she would never love me back.

Victoria didn't answer this time, instead she lunged right at my throat. I ducked just in time, quickly turned around and had my arm around her throat before she could get anywhere near Esme and Bella.

„It's over, Victoria," I whispered in her ear. „You're at my mercy now."

 _You have to kill me then, because I'll never give up!_ She shrieked in her mind, having figured out my mind reading ability.

„As you wish," I murmured and with one swift movement I severed her head.

 **A/N: So, there will be one or two more chapters in this story. But don't worry, there will be a sequel, maybe even more than one :)**


	28. Aftermath

Chapter twenty-eight

 **Bella**

 _A woman with wild fiery red hair was standing in the middle of the room. First I noticed her clothes, that were torn in places and she wore no shoes. My eyes then went up to her face. Her bright red eyes were shining in surprise by what she was seeing but then her lips broke into an evil smile._

 _„_ _So it's because of you!" she exclaimed in high, girly voice and then she launched at us._

She didn't get very far. My shield stopped her – she crashed into it and bounced back, landing gracefully on her feet.

Her eyes went wide and she screeched in fury.

Right then, something inside me snapped and all fear suddenly vanished. It felt like Jasper was nearby, and I briefly wondered if the others were closer than I'd thought. Either way, I was determined to last as long as it took before the others got back. So I closed my eyes, concentrating fully on my shield, feeling the energy flowing from my hand into the wand.

I felt another slight tremor of the shield as the Redhead crashed into it again. I opened my eyes to see her furious expression and couldn't help the slight smirk that escaped my lips.

„Let us out, Bella," hissed Rosalie, still crouched in front of me.

„No," I growled. The Redhead looked insane, her expression reminding me of Bellatrix Lestrange – a witch who was capable of unimaginably horrible things. I was sure Esme wasn't a fighter and I wasn't about to test Rosalie's fighting skills against this apparently crazy woman right now.

Again and again the Redhead tried to get through my shield but failed. I was angry now. At the Redhead and her unwavering stubbornness to get to me, at myself for not being able to do more, and even a little at Edward and the others for letting her escape. The last one was irrational, I knew that, but anger was still better than fear and panic. I didn't want to think about why she had escaped – I knew that if I thought that any of them was hurt or worse, my will would crumble and so would my shield.

My hand started shaking slightly and I fought back the panic that I could feel started squeezing my chest. I had to concentrate harder. I couldn't let go now, not just for me, but for Esme and Rosalie too.

The Redhead made another attempt to break through my shield and I stared in horror as it started to crumble. But then suddenly – she was gone. The next thing I was aware of was the sound of a tree falling down.

I blinked, barely catching a streak of bronze colour before it was gone too.

Esme and Rosalie visibly relaxed and it was then when my half-frozen brain started to work again.

It was Edward. He had gotten here just in time to safe us. The relief I felt at the moment was indescribable. Rosalie and Esme both ran out after him and I followed them automatically. I carefully stepped over the shattered glass on the floor – the last thing I needed was bleeding right in front of an enraged human-drinking vampire. And I didn't think Edward would be able to control himself either.

I heard Edward now, talking to the Redhead. His back was to me and he was blocking her attempts to get back to the house. She was fast but Edward was faster. I didn't see them moving – I only knew they did because every now and then they suddenly appeared a step or two from their previous spot.

„You killed him and I'll kill her!" the Redhead shrieked after something Edward had said but I didn't catch what it was.

The others were there too, standing in a circle around Edward and the Redhead, Esme and Rosalie joining them. I walked right after Esme, trying to get past her to have a better view.

„No, Bella," she said, stopping me before I could get any further.

„But I want to see it," I argued but Esme wouldn't budge. She gently shoved me behind her back, effectively keeping me from any possible harm. I still managed to peek from behind her though.

The Redhead had apparently noticed me because the next second she lunged at me. Or tried to. Again, Edward was faster and prevented her from getting more then a step my direction. He spoke again and this time I could hear him.

„Give up, Victoria," he said, his velvet voice low, nearly purring. „You can see you're outnumbered." He pointed at his family but Victoria kept her eyes on me. „You can still leave without getting hurt."

I suppressed a snort. She really didn't look like she wanted to leave. And it was confirmed by her shrieking „Never!" at the top of her lungs.

Edward started to move then, circling around Victoria while she did the same. He spoke again, his voice still low, seductive even. It made me shiver, a strange, surprisingly pleasant feeling flowing through my body. I shook my head to clear it and tried to concentrate on his words.

„He never even loved you," he said. „He was using you for your talent. He didn't even think about you before we killed him."

Victoria snapped her eyes at him. „Liar!" she screeched again. I wondered if she ever did something else than shriek or screech.

„You know I'm not lying. You could see it too, couldn't you? But you still hoped that if you did what he wanted, he would love you back."

Before I could blink they moved so fast that I could only guess what had happened. Victoria apparently lunged at me again, or at him, I didn't know, but the next second Edward had his arm under her throat, his lips right next to her ear.

It was the first time I could see his face since he'd gotten here mere ten minutes ago. His face was cold, lethal. He never looked more terrifying. Or more beautiful.

I saw his lips move slightly, but I couldn't hear what he said. He spoke soundlessly again and then there was a loud, screeching noise and then…

Victoria's head was rolling on the ground next to her feet, her eyes still open but blank, her expression still livid.

I stared at her head, unable to move or speak or tear my eyes off it. I didn't even blink. I could feel my heart beating wildly in my chest and then a sudden flood of emotions crashed into me.

Relief. Happiness. Gratitude. Fear. Anxiety. Confusion.

Exhaustion.

The last one hit me like a freight train. I nearly dropped on my knees before I heard someone saying to get me out of here. Then everything went black.

* * *

 _I was standing in a dark room. Or was it a room? I wasn't sure, but it was dark. My hair was flying around my face so I was outside then. I tried to walk but couldn't move. Suddenly I heard a high-pitched girly laughter and a set of bright red eyes appeared in front of me. The eyes were surrounded by a mane of fiery red hair. She was coming closer but all I could see was the hair and the eyes. There was no body attached to her head. When she was just a few steps from me, the face suddenly melted and another pair of red eyes was staring at me. But the face was different. It was greyishly pale and the nose had a snake-like shape. He reached his hand toward me and laughed…_

I woke up, gasping for air. The room was dim but not completely dark and I realized that I was laying in a bed. A dream. It was a dream. I still could feel my heart pounding in my ears so I took a deep breath to calm down. Then I sat up, looking around the room.

It was Edward's room, of course. I could hear a thunder in the distance and rain was pounding on the roof, so that explained the dim light. I wondered what time it was and looked up to look at the clock on the wall opposite the bed. That was when I noticed him.

Edward was sitting on the couch on the side farthest from me. He sat still as a statue, his eyes on me, watching me anxiously.

I felt suddenly calm, just seeing him always did it to me. I briefly wondered why he was on the couch and not on the bed with me, but then I decided it didn't matter and scrambled out of the bed so I could get to him.

I didn't get very far though.

My feet got tangled in the sheets so naturally I tripped and fell face first on the floor. Or I would have, if a pair of strong arms didn't stop the fall.

He steadied me carefully, holding me at arm's lenght the whole time, and then stepped back. I kicked the sheets aside and automatically reached for Edward, but he took another step back. I frowned, confused, and then looked up to see his face.

His eyes were still gold so he wasn't thirsty, but maybe he was away for too long and it was uncomfortable for him. Yes, that must be it, I decided. Except, he was still watching me anxiously and I saw a flicker of fear in his face. Was he afraid he would hurt me if I were too close?

„Sorry," I mumbled, dropping my hand.

Now it was him who looked confused. „For what?" There was a hard edge in his voice I couldn't decipher.

„Um, it's harder for you to be that close today, right?" I smiled apologetically.

He stared at me as if I'd grown a second head. „No."

„Okay, so why the distance, then?"

„Why the…" he started but then shook his head. „Bella, aren't you… _afraid_ of me?"

I blinked in surprise. „What? Why?"

His features turned hard then. „I _beheaded_ someone right in front of you."

Oh. That.

Then the memories of last night came to me. _Victoria… Edward saving us at the last moment… Edward standing behind her at one moment and her head on the ground the next._

„It really happened," I whispered, my eyes on his chest but not really seeing him.

„Yes," he said curtly, taking another step back.

I shuddered, biting my lower lip. Then I thought of something else. Something important.

„Are you alright? And the others?" I asked anxiously, my eyes back on his face now.

„Yes." He still stared at me, probably expecting me to run away screaming. I chuckled at the thought and he threw me another confused look.

„Thank God," I said, relieved. Then I realized something. „So… it's over? They're all dead?"

He rubbed his face in frustration, mumbling something that sounded like „…it's shock. Has to be."

I sighed, closing the distance between us and taking his free hand into both of mine. „ _Edward_ ," I said, waiting for him to look at me. When he finally did, I took a deep breath and continued. „I'm _not_ afraid of you. How can I? You saved me, _again_." I rolled my eyes, still frustrated that I hadn't been able to do more. „Though, I have to admit that seeing her head on the ground was slightly disturbing."

„ _Slightly_ ," he repeated blankly.

„Okay, a lot." I grimaced. „But she would have killed me so I'm not really upset that you killed her first."

„I didn't want you to see me like that," he admitted sheepishly but then his eyes narrowed at me. „Why didn't you stay in the house?"

„I don't know," I said and it was true. I remembered my legs carrying me outside on their own accord and my probably masochistic urge to see him.

He sighed and went to sit on the bed, pulling me onto his lap. „Are you sure you're not afraid?" he asked again, chuckling when I rolled my eyes at him. „But you fainted. I thought it was out of fear."

„I did?" I frowned, trying to remember what happened right after he'd killed Victoria. „I remember being exhausted, and it was all so… overwhelming, I guess. But I wasn't afraid of you," I said again, putting my palm on his cheek. He raised his eyebrow sceptically and I backpedaled a little. „Okay, I was, a little. You looked quite terrifying at that point." He looked anxious again so I quickly added, „But I was mostly relieved that it was over and that you seemed to be okay."

„I'm sorry I scared you," he murmured, resting his forehead against mine. „I would never hurt you."

„I know." Then I decided that it was time to improve his mood a little. „But you also looked very sexy." He snorted and pulled back, as if to see if I was being serious. I heard a booming laughter from downstairs and groaned. „I love the sense of privacy in this house."

Edward pinched the bridge of his nose, a disgusted look on his face.

„Do I want to know what he's thinking?" I asked, amused and glad that the mood had lifted considerably. He shook his head vehemently and I laughed. „You're a pig, Emmett!" I shouted in the direction of the door and another booming laughter answered me.

I shook my head, returning my attention back to Edward, who was watching me intently. „So, are you going to tell me what had happened before the crazy Redhead turned up here?"

„Aren't you hungry? You missed breakfast and lunch, you must be starving."

My growling stomach answered for me and before I could protest Edward was gone. He was back not even a minute later with a plate full of sandwiches and a glass of orange juice.

„Esme made them for you," he explained, placing the plate onto my lap and the juice on the bedside table. „The others thought we'd like some privacy."

Yeah, like it was possible to have a private life in this house. Edward laughed at my expression and added, „Emmett and Rosalie left. And unlike them, the rest of my family actually _respect_ privacy."

I took a bite of one of the sandwiches and patted the bed next to me. Edward smiled and sat down beside me, leaning back against the headboard. „So, what happened?" I asked, trying not to sound so desperately impatient, but Edward wasn't fooled.

He smirked but finally started to talk.

* * *

When he finished, I sat there in silence for a few minutes, trying to process everything he had said. I wanted to ask some questions but I really didn't know where to start.

„Bella?" said Edward after a while, sounding frustrated. „Please, tell me what you're thinking."

„I should have known it was her," I whispered, my eyes fixed on the wall opposite the bed. An impatient sigh next to me told me that Edward wasn't happy with my answer. „Umbridge," I explained, turning my head to him. „The woman who'd sent James after me. It was Umbridge. She did say she would find those who had been hiding abroad. Why didn't I think of it?"

„It wouldn't have changed anything, Bella."

„I know, but still. I should have made the connection."

„It doesn't matter now. We took care of James and Victoria so you're safe."

„And the third one? Laurent? Are you sure he won't come back for me?"

Edward put an arm around my shoulders and kissed my temple. „He didn't even know about you. He travelled with them out of convenience. He had already planned on leaving them before they met us." Then he paused, lifting my chin so I would look in his eyes. „Carlisle called Tanya and told her about Laurent's visit. They would warn us if he decided to come back. And we have Alice, she would know."

„Who's Tanya?" I lifted my eyebrows curiously.

„The leader of the Denali coven." A flicker of annoyance shot across his face and I wondered if it was caused by my questions or it was something about Tanya that he found annoying. He didn't say anything else about the Denali though so I decided to let it go for the moment.

I was quiet for a while, much to Edward's increasing frustration, resting my head on his shoulder. After a minute or two I lifted my head to look at him. „What about Alice? Is she okay?" It had shocked me when Edward told me that James had known Alice as human.

Edward sighed. „Yes. She's with Jasper now, trying to figure out what to do next. She wants to know more about her human family so she's thinking about going to Mississippi to look for more information."

„Poor Alice," I mumbled, placing my head back on Edward's shoulder. „What kind of a family would put their daugher in that place?" I shuddered, imagining poor little Alice in a mental asylum.

„We don't know why they put her there," said Edward. „It didn't have to be because they didn't love her, Bella. She had probably some kind of visions even as a human and it might have scared her family so much that they didn't know what else to do."

„But if they loved her - "

„Bella, even today she would have been perceived as strange, if not put into a mental facility. People have always feared what they didn't understand. I thought you, of all people, would know that."

I did know that. Even my own mother had been treating me a little differently since she found out I was a witch. „It still doesn't make it right," I said aloud.

„No, but we don't know what had happened that Alice ended up in that asylum. There could have been many reasons for that. Maybe they couldn't control her or her visions caused some sort of accident."

I frowned. „Are you defending them?"

„Of course I'm not," he said with an impatient sigh. „But I'm not judging them either. We simply don't know the facts."

I didn't know what to say to that because of course he was right again. I snuggled closer to him, pressing my lips against his throat. His breathing paused for a second but he relaxed immediately, pulling me even closer to him. I smiled. It looked like he'd finally accepted the fact that I wasn't afraid of him.

 **A/N: One more chapter left!**


	29. Love

Chapter twenty-nine

We stayed in Edward's room and talked quietly for another hour, just enjoying each other's company. It was half past five when Edward sighed and looked at me.

„You should go home. Charlie's getting impatient." I lifted my eyebrow, wondering how he knew that. He chuckled and explained, „Alice can see him deciding between calling you or coming here to get you."

Right then my phone rang and a quick look at the ID told that my dad had apparently made his decision. I laughed, answering the phone.

„I'm on my way, Dad," I said instead of greeting. He grumbled something and hung up.

Edward had told me that they'd already informed Charlie that everything went well and everyone was okay. That was probably the only reason he'd waited that long to call me.

„Are you coming with me?" I asked Edward after I climbed out of the bed.

„Not now," he said with an apologetic smile. „You and Charlie should have some time together. I'll come later tonight, if you don't mind."

I rolled my eyes. Like I'd ever say no to that.

* * *

Charlie looked relieved when he saw me stepping out of the fireplace in our living room. He had been waiting for me on the couch, not even watching his favourite sport channel on tv. He hugged me tightly, leading me to the kitchen where a large pepperoni pizza was waiting for me on the table.

I wasn't really hungry, it hadn't been that long since I had the sandwiches, but I still sat down at the table with Charlie, taking one slice from the box.

„So," Charlie started, chewing on his pizza, „it's over, huh?"

„Looks like it," I said with a nod.

„What will happen now? The Cullens don't have to protect you anymore," he said, avoiding my eyes.

„Well, I suppose I will continue doing what I did before," I said, shrugging. „I still have a lot to learn and practice with Toby."

„But you don't have to spend all the time with them now, right?" he asked, sounding hopeful.

„Um." I hesitated, not sure what he was getting at. „I don't know. Not all the time, I suppose." Then I narrowed my eyes at him suspiciously. „Why?"

He shrugged, taking a sip of his beer. „It's just… I was thinking last night and you know… I'd like to spend more time with you. I know we have dinners together but maybe we could do something else too."

„Okay," I said, putting my slice back in the box. I looked right into his eyes, curious now. „What do you have in mind? Because I'm limited to this house and the Cullen place, so we can't really go anywhere."

His face fell a little. „Oh, I forgot about that." He looked thoughtful for a minute and then his face lit up again. „What about me watching your lesson with Toby sometimes? Would it be okay?"

I grinned. „Sure, that would be great, Dad."

Charlie was quiet for a moment, looking thoughtful, chewing his pizza slowly. „I'm glad they were able to protect you," he said quietly after taking a long swig of his beer. „Don't even want to think what would have happened if they hadn't lived in Forks. And I really thought you were safe here." He sighed, staring at the table in front of him.

I shuddered, trying not to think about what Charlie had said. I reached out and put my hand on his forearm. „Don't think about it, Dad. It's over now, we're safe."

He nodded and then looked right into my eyes. „Just keep them around."

I smiled, happy that he'd apparently approved of my relationship with the vampire family. Suddenly he frowned, narrowing his eyes and pointing his finger at me. „Don't you think I don't know he spends the nights in your room."

„What?" I nearly squealed in surprise, dropping the slice of pizza in the box.

„I'm not stupid, you know," he went on, looking stern but I could see his mustache twitching slightly. „I don't want to know what you two do in there but I trust you. Both of you. So don't disappoint me."

I just nodded mutely, still staring at him like an idiot. Charlie chuckled shortly, took the rest of his beer and shuffled into the living room.

* * *

„Charlie knows you come here," was the first thing I said to Edward when he appeared in my room later that night.

„I know," he said with a chuckle, laying next to me on my bed. „He'd been suspicious since we told him we're vampires and that we would be guarding your house."

„I can't believe he's okay with it. Did you hear what he said?"

„No, we just got back from a meeting with Billy Black and Sam Uley."

I frowned, confused, forgetting about Charlie in an instant. „What did they want?"

Edward sighed, running his hand through his unruly hair, making it even messier. „Victoria was in their territory. They called first to warn us about breaking the treaty and Carlisle arranged the meeting to explain the situation in person. Sam was in his wolf form so they needed me as the translator."

„What did you tell them?" I couldn't imagine what they'd told the Quileutes without telling them about my presence in Forks.

„That we'd warned her and James about not hunting in this area but they didn't listen. So we killed them," he said with a shrug.

„Did they believe it?"

„Yes, they had no reason not to." He was completely at ease, holding my hand and playing with my fingers.

I breathed a sigh of relief and rested my head against his shoulder. „Are there still the three of them? The wolves I mean."

„Yes, though they suspect that another one will go through the transformation soon."

„They told you that?"

He chuckled. „Not really. But when they're in their wolf form, their mind is connected with the other wolves so I could hear not only Sam's thoughts but Paul's and Jared's too, even though they were not in the meeting. It was interesting, each of them could hear what the other two were thinking so I was a little confused in the beginning and it was harder to concentrate." His voice trailed off, apparently still thinking about the mysterious minds of the wolf pack.

I sighed, thinking of Jacob and how the whole „gang" thing freaked him out. I felt Edward's lips in my hair and smiled, lifting my head slightly, hoping that he would kiss me on my lips. He didn't do it often and I relished the rare times he did.

I was lucky this time.

He lowered his head and his lips touched mine lightly but all too soon he pulled away. I scowled at him and he chuckled and kissed me again; this time the kiss took longer and I closed my eyes, sighing happily against his lips. He hesitated for a second and than carefully nibbled at my lower lip, taking it between his lips, gently tugging at it. His free hand – the other one was still holding mine - was gently running up and down my arm, creating a fiery path on my skin despite his cold fingers.

My heart nearly jumped out of my chest and I tried with all I had to suppress a moan that threatened to escape my throat. I wasn't sure how he would react to that and I didn't want him to stop. Ever. I think I would happily die kissing him.

He pulled away slightly only to place a small kiss on the tip of my nose and another one on my temple. I kept my eyes closed, trying to calm my breathing that sounded more like panting now which was slightly embarrassing.

When I opened my eyes, I was met with his gaze so intense that it nearly made my heart stop. Then his lips pulled up into a smile and he pulled me into his chest, his hand letting go of mine and putting it around my shoulders instead.

„So," I said, getting back to the mystery of Charlie's uncharacteristic behaviour earlier this evening, „why do you think Charlie's okay with you spending the nights in my room? I'd thought he would freak out, lock me in a basement and guard it with a loaded gun."

Edward chuckled, playing with my fingers with his free hand. „Like that would stop me from getting to you," he said with a gentle smile and it automatically made me smile back. Then his expression turned thoughtful, his eyes staring ahead of him. „He's very protective of you but he knows he can't do anything against the danger you're in. But we can, so he has no choice but to trust us to do his job."

„Yes, but what does it have to do with you being in my room at night? You could stay outside and it would be enough."

„Do you want me to stay outside?" he said, raising an eyebrow.

„No!" I said quickly. „Of course not. I'm just trying to see it from Charlie's point of view."

„What exactly did he say?"

„Well, that he knows you spend nights here and that he doesn't want to know what we do." I blushed and Edward laughed. „And that he trusts us not to dissapoint him." The last part was still a bit of a mystery to me so I frowned. „I'm not sure what he meant by that."

Edward was quiet for a minute, still looking thoughtful. „I think the fact that I'm not a typical teenager is a big part of his acceptance." I thought about that but he continued before I could come up with anything. „And I think that he can see that I - " He stopped and glanced at me quickly before he went on. „That I care about you and would never hurt you."

I stared at him but he was looking at his hand in mine in his lap. I knew what he'd wanted to say. I knew he loved me and I sometimes wondered why he'd never told me those three words. But at the same time I was kind of glad he didn't. I wasn't sure what I would say to that, and even though I always had strong feelings for him, I still wasn't sure what they were. Or maybe I was but for some reason I still hadn't been ready to admit it even to myself.

I knew I wanted to be with him and I knew I wanted him to be happy. I wanted to see his beautiful smile and the light in his eyes that went with it. And I knew that when he wasn't with me, I felt anxious and incomplete. And when he came back to me my heart always skipped a beat and the amazing warmth spread across my chest.

Was it love?

Now that I allowed myself to think about it I knew it had to be love. It was different from the love I felt for my parents and friends. Stronger. I realised with a shock that I couldn't imagine my life without him. That thought hit me like a freight train and I felt a knot forming in my stomach as I tried to imagine it.

Edward must have heard the hitch in my breathing or the way my heart sped up because he looked up at me curiously. „What is it?"

I just shook my head and leaned back against the headboard, closing my eyes. I heard his frustrated sigh and smiled. Yet again I was grateful that he couldn't read my mind.

„I would give anything for at least one peek into your mind right now," he said, still sounding frustrated.

I opened my eyes, grinning at him. „It's only fair, you know. I can't read your mind either."

„But you're used to it. I'm not," he argued, frowning playfully.

„In that case I think it's time you got used to it too," I said, beaming at him.

He shot me a mocking glare but then chuckled and rolled his eyes. I lowered myself into the pillows with a huge yawn and snuggled closer to him, laying my head on his chest, ready to get some sleep. Even though I'd slept until afternoon, I was still tired as the lack of sleep and the stress from previous days had caught up with me.

Edward kissed the top of my head, murmuring, „Good night, Bella."

„Night," I mumbled back, slowly drifting to sleep. I was aware of his humming my song and right before I fell asleep, I thought of things I wanted to do. Except for getting ready for my return to Britain, I needed to figure out what to do with my relationship with Edward but the most important thing was: I needed to find a way to tell him I loved him.

THE END OF BOOK ONE

 **A/N: So, this is the end of book one. I can't believe it's been nearly 20 months since I started posting this, it feels like yesterday. Anyway, I'll start posting the sequel as soon as the first chapter is ready, so if you don't want to miss it, I recommend to add me into Author alerts.**

 **Also, I'm planning on editing this story because I keep finding grammatical or continuity errors everytime I check the older chapters for something. So if you know about an error or something was bothering you, please let me know and I make sure to fix it or at least explain why I can't fix it :)**

 **Thank you all for reading.**

 **Janie**


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